Louvre Abu Dhabi Exhibit and revisiting Emirates Palace

Last weekend we checked the Talking Art Louvre exhibit in Emirates Palace. Louvre Abu Dhabi is one of the cultural development projects of the government. The first universal museum in Middle East is set in Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. Under a two-year-old agreement, Abu Dhabi will pay France $555 million for the use of the Louvre’s name, as well as for art loans, special exhibitions and management advice. The 260,000-square-foot museum is expected to open in 2013.

Like in last year’s Picasso exhibit, photo taking was not allowed. Louvre exhibit started with a film which showed the setting up of the universal museum, followed by the guided tour to 19 works of art (which include standing bodhisattva from the second to third century A.D., a Chinese white marble head of Buddha from the Northern Qi Dynasty, A.D. 550-577, a 16th-century polychrome painted copper ewer from Venice, works on Christian religious themes, including a Bellini “Madonna and Child” from the 1480s and a 16th-century sculpture of Jesus from Bavaria or Austria) bought over the last 20 months for the Louvre Abu Dhabi, as well as loans from the French national museums.

If you have a chance, don’t miss this one. The guided tour is free of charge, but reservation is required. You may send an email to artsabudhabi@tdic.ae or call +9712 690 8230. The exhibit will run until August 29, 2009 (11am and 630pm sessions daily) at Gallery One in Emirates Palace.

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Since I was with visitors-friends from Dubai that night, we checked some unrestricted areas in the hotel before the exhibit begun. These portraits of the sheiks will welcome you at the main entrance.

If you’re visiting UAE, don’t be surprised to see photos/portraits of sheiks in the offices, malls, roads, and other establishments.

To correct most of the people’s perception, Emirates Palace is actually a hotel (for me, it’s a palace, period heehee). The president/ruler of UAE lives in a real palace. (UAE has nine emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The latter as the capital city/emirate).

I don’t mind looking up to this ceiling whenever I visit here.

During my first visit I couldn’t believe that the lobby, ceiling and the leaves of the palm trees are gold-plated and that chandeliers were made of Swarovski crystals.

No wonder that the price of the items in the bars and cafes are so goldirrific. Just like the pricing in the seemingly underwater restaurant where we took lunch last time.

This so called Palace cake is so expensive. Hence, I had to savor it to the tiniest visible trace of glucose. But it’s absolutely delicious.

Of course, we were regaled by the irregular shape of chairs.

After we were done with the at least 60-minute guided tour in Louvre exhibit, we did catch this gorgeous lady playing harp.

This is a mural at the second level showing the entire Emirates Palace Hotel.

Next: Emirates Palace at night

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