CERCLE 6

35 be replaced by its own collection under French assessment. It also includes permission to use the Louvre name for 30 years and six months. Its director, the Frenchman Manuel Rabaté, proudly presented the inaugural exhibition on December 21, with the suggestive title of From one Louvre to another: opening a museum for everyone , an ambitious exhibition that illustrates the history of the Parisian Louvre—the most visited museum in the world— and traces its history until the creation of a branch in the future cultural district of Abu Dhabi, a spectacular demonstration of power and the vision of the future that arises from the waters of the Persian Gulf as a floating structure, protected by a sort of armored, perforated, metallic latticework that vaguely resembles the shell of a turtle. Through its orifices in the shape of irregular stars, arranged in a random way, we see the intense light of the desert and the albedo of the sea surface, creating a wonderful interplay of colors. In the interior, the water and its different channels take centre stage amongst a T he first major international project of the Louvre Museum, its spectacular and controversial franchise in Abu Dhabi, opened its doors in November 2017. This is a construction that began in 2009, after the two governments signed the agreement in 2007, endowed with a budget of more than five hundred million euros and an architectural style both entirely respectful of Arab culture and representative of its civilization. Designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel, the intention of the building is to illustrate itsmain purpose: to set itself up as a bridge between civilizations. That is why it is home to works from all over the world, in a coordinated effort to reconcile Eastern and Western art. At present, it has around 600 works, half of which come from loans from museums and French institutions. In summary, the agreement between both countries ensures that for the first ten years, the Arab museum will be sustained by borrowed works that will gradually Louvre Abu Dhabi: the universal museum in the Arab world 'When people enter the new Louvre they will hear messages of acceptance, tolerance and connectivity, which we need in today's world that will make it a better place' Mohamed Khalifa al-Mubarak Director of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism « Louvre Abu Dhabi © Louvre Abu Dhabi Foto/Photo Roland Halbe