About
The Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation are partners in the planned Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum, which will be situated in the center of the Saadiyat Cultural District. Extensive perspectives on the worldwide histories of modern and contemporary art will be promoted via the museum's program, which includes collection displays, special exhibitions, commissions, research, and publications.
The museum's program will foster broad perspectives on the international histories of modern and contemporary art through collection displays, special exhibitions, commissions, research, and publications.
As the leading museum of modern and contemporary art in the area, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi aims to deepen awareness of how many art viewpoints have influenced the interwoven histories and cultures of our day. With an emphasis on South Asia, North Africa, and West Asia, the museum showcases a global collection.
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be a pre-eminent platform for global contemporary art and culture that will present the most important artistic achievements of our time. Through its permanent collection, exhibitions, scholarly publications and educational programs, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will promote a truly transnational perspective on art history.
On July 8, 2006, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to establish a world-class museum devoted to modern and contemporary art. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a 450,000-square-foot museum designed by internationally acclaimed architect Frank Gehry, will be built as part of the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island—a natural island lying 500 meters offshore of Abu Dhabi city.
The Cultural District will be a square-mile ensemble of four museums, a five-stage performing arts center, and a park with pavilions for art and architecture exhibitions and programs, created in collaboration with some of the world’s most prominent art institutions and designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architects.
The museum’s development presents a unique opportunity for collaboration and partnership that will foster cross-cultural exchange, dialogue, and understanding. The Guggenheim Foundation and Abu Dhabi aim to foster a culture of appreciation for the arts in the Middle East and around the world.
