Bollywood Superstars exhibition among three new Louvre Abu Dhabi anniversary shows

The museum has a calendar full of cultural programming such as talks, workshops, performances and more

Louvre Abu Dhabi is gearing up for the cultural season. Photo: Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi

Louvre Abu Dhabi will celebrate its fifth anniversary in November with three new exhibitions.

The first is Impressionism: Pathways to Modernity, which was announced earlier this month and is being held in partnership with Musee d'Orsay, Paris. It will run from October 12 to February 5, 2023, with more than 150 masterpieces on display.

Scroll through the gallery below to see some of the works to be shown:

This includes etchings, costumes, film and photography, exploring why Impressionism was considered controversial in the 19th century and how it broke ground for future artistic movements. Works by Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Cezanne will form part of the exhibition, alongside many more pioneering artists.

The second exhibition is from the Richard Mille Art Prize, which is set to begin in November and run until February 2023. The award invites those in the UAE as well as in the GCC to propose new or existing artworks, which engage with the concept of "the icon".

Shortlisted works will be displayed as part of the Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2022 exhibition, while one recipient will win the Richard Mille Art Prize with a $60,000 cash prize.

Scroll through the gallery below to see last year's Richard Mille Art Prize winner:

Curated by Reem Fadda, director of Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation, the exhibition will explore how the concept of the icon resonates within contemporary art and informs novel perspectives.

Finally, an exhibition looking at the history of Indian cinema from the 19th century to the present arrives on January 25, 2023. Titled Bollywood Superstars, it's held in partnership with Musee du quai Branly — Jacques Chirac, Paris, and looks at the sub-continent’s art and civilisation through its rich and diverse filmmaking history. It will be on until June 4, 2023.

Bollywood Superstars is co-curated by Julien Rousseau, curator of the Asian collection at Musee du quai Branly — Jacques Chira, and Helene Kessous, an anthropologist and specialist of South Asian cinema.

“As we mark our fifth anniversary this November, Louvre Abu Dhabi continues to offer something for everyone with this upcoming season, from exhibitions and new artworks to special events and programming,” says Manuel Rabate, director of Louvre Abu Dhabi.

“We remain deeply rooted in our community, committed to our mission of telling stories of cultural connections to the world through our upcoming exhibitions and providing UAE and GCC artists the opportunity to exhibit their works at the museum.”

Meanwhile, in addition to the exhibitions, the museum will also host festivities through an extensive cultural calendar, which will feature an array of events. Expect curated talks, concerts, performances, film screenings, workshops and more.

Highlights include a contemporary dance performance inspired by the Impressionism: Pathways to Modernity exhibition and an immersive theatre experience based on Bollywood Superstars. More information is to be announced soon.

“The strength of our collection and display of artworks at Louvre Abu Dhabi comes from our unique semi-permanent model and the storytelling potential it presents. There is always an ever-evolving narrative on global connectivity and the many shared threads," says Souraya Noujaim, Louvre Abu Dhabi's scientific, curatorial and collections management director.

"Since the inception of Louvre Abu Dhabi, our mission has been to celebrate stories of cultural connections, to help visitors find commonalities through art, across cultures, geographies, and time. We would not be able to achieve this without expanding the narrative through the collection and the partners — from the heart of this region, to Paris, and around the world — continually helping us foster moments of discovery for our visitors as we celebrate our anniversary.”