Opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi to be delayed?
What’s On has details on the rumours about the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, located on Saadiyat Island, which may be delayed until 2016.
New reports suggest that the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s opening date has been pushed back.
Scheduled to open on National Day of 2015, the museum is now rumored to be opening in 2016 according to Jean-Luc Martinez, President of the Musée du Louvre, who spoke to a press briefing in Paris last week.
The Tourism Development & Investment Company, the developers of the project, have released the following statement, “Construction of Louvre Abu Dhabi is well underway. An updated timeline will be announced in due course.”
According to the report in The Art Newspaper, construction is currently on schedule and the delay is due to issues of obtaining and installing artwork. Curator Jean-François Charnier has said installation of the collection may take up to three months to complete.
Once open, the museum will house over 500 works from its permanent collection with more than 300 works loaned from French institutions.
The structure will be one of three major museums built in the up-and-coming cultural district of Saadiyat Island, alongside the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum.
For residents keen to get a glimpse of what is to come, there is a public exhibition showcasing new acquisitions currently taking place. Hosted at Manarat Al Saadiyat, the display will run until August 30 and will be divided into two separate sections. Louvre Abu Dhabi Stories: Al Qalam, which will run until July 25, will explore the art of the written word. The second display, Louvre Abu Dhabi Stories: Immortal Figures, which runs from July 28 to August 30, will showcase sculptures from around the world.
Manarat Al Saadiyat will be open during the Holy Month of Ramadan from 9am to 2pm and 8.30pm to 11.30pm.
