Louvre Abu Dhabi’s First Year: A Thematic Museum Model Without Western Hierarchy

The Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Jean Nouvel, opened in November 2017 during the ninth edition of Abu Dhabi Art. Its architecture, notably the dome, garnered attention, but the museum’s curatorial approach deserves scrutiny. Unlike European encyclopedic museums that often present non-Western cultures ahistorically, the Louvre Abu Dhabi adopts a thematic, non-hierarchical layout. Its twelve galleries juxtapose coeval events from distant geographies, avoiding a single narrative. For example, the birth of perspective in Europe is paired with the emergence of abstract three-dimensionality in Arab lands; the age of exploration around 1500 features Christopher Columbus alongside Ibn Majid and Zheng He; and 17th-century rulers from Europe, Islam, China, and Africa are shown as simultaneous art patrons. However, the last two galleries, dedicated to modern and contemporary art, remain Western-centric. Two temporary exhibitions are also critiqued: 'Japanese Connections: The Birth of Modern Décor' focuses on the Nabis’ inspiration from Japanese culture without acknowledging its depth, while 'Roads of Arabia: Archeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia' offers a local history valuable for both Emirati and foreign audiences.