Given Louvre Abu Dhabi's aspirations, the bar has been set very high. "See humanity in a new light" runs the strapline for the institution's new marketing campaign, which is accompanied by a specially commissioned poem by the Booker Prize-winning author Ben Okri.
"Our dream is to unite that which has been separated by history. To return the many to the one. A great story unites us all, beyond colour and creed and gender," runs the ode, echoing the statements that have been made by the new museum's curators, whose aim is nothing less than a rewrite of the history of art and civilisation.
As Okri recently told The Art Newspaper, a museum like Louvre Abu Dhabi could be pivotal in reminding people that we are all members of the same human family: "not them against us, or us against them, but all of us together, at our best, helping to make a world our children will be proud to live in."
If that sounds hopelessly utopian, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s self-proclaimed mission has a resonance that is echoing elsewhere.
In September, Hartwig Fischer, the recently-appointed new head of the British Museum, announced plans for a major reorganisation of the institution’s permanent collection.
The aim, he explained, will be to help visitors “address broader issues and change the way you look at objects, to enable visitors to make comparisons between cultures”, which sounds very much like a more pragmatic version of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s universal approach.
Both involve a rebalancing of history and the creation of new narratives about world cultures that move beyond an exclusively European point of view.
The team at Louvre Abu Dhabi has tried to ensure that such a change takes place by training a new generation of Emirati curators, but this is a long-term project whose success will only be able to be measured once the museum’s collection evolves.
The response of visitors will also be a key measure of success. At its best, the museum is a paean to the power of beauty – in its architecture, its objects and the stories it will celebrate – but if those narratives do not recognise the complications that can come with connectivity, the museum's message will fail to ring true.
The nature of the difference Louvre Abu Dhabi may make will be shaped in part by the values it espouses – of equality and enquiry, openness and tolerance – but its impact will ultimately rest on its ability to inspire and to change people's minds, factors that are difficult to assess.
In terms of its values, the museum is starting in the right place, but to stay the course it will need to foster a sense of affinity with local communities, to encourage people to reconsider their place in the world and be brave enough to explore difficult issues.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
ARGENTINA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani, Agustin Marchesin, Esteban Andrada
Defenders: Juan Foyth, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ramiro Funes Mori, Renzo Saravia, Marcos Acuna, Milton Casco
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Guido Rodriguez, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Roberto Pereyra, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Matias Suarez
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The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
September 30
South Africa v Australia
Argentina v New Zealand
October 7
South Africa v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
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