But what’s the Guggenheim going to put on display?

WITH the announcement that the Guggenheim Museum is to be the UAE’s latest tourist attraction, I was initially extremely pleased as I firmly believe that tourism needs a lot more than glitzy buildings, five-star or higher treatment, and sun and sand.

With more disposable income around, potential tourists from the Western world and beyond — such as the traditional budget-oriented Spain and Italy tourist — can now afford to holiday in the UAE. But until now, beyond the beach and the luxury hotels, the entire region has had very little to offer.
We simply do not have a visible culture that appeals to a very large portion of this world’s population here in the region or in the UAE in particular. We don’t have an opera-house, not a concert hall as yet, no ballet house to speak of, and no museums other then a few highlighting local culture. Sharjah is the only place with a large variety of museums, from a national history museum to an airport museum, but hardly any are to be found in the other emirates. In addition, the lack of good marketing skills has made these museums little more than white elephants.
Tourism needs a lot more, but now the Guggenheim is on its way to Abu Dhabi. And yes, it will definitely bring in tourism from everywhere, especially if themed exhibitions and so on are organised.
Exhibiting art from across the world will surely be an added asset, but it must not go the same way as the faculties of art at the UAE’s different universities. Most art books are not available to students here, for example, providing only a limited knowledge of the history of art. And isn’t art education what a museum is all about?
In all art forms, be that painting, sculpture or any form of art, the human body is very often part of any collection. This will be the stumbling block for any world class museum in the region. I simply can’t see the Venus de Milo or Adonis, or Rubens’ paintings being displayed — because they are so contrary to the principles that we are required to adhere to. A retrospective of, let’s say, Picasso’s works, with certain ‘un-Islamic’ paintings left out cannot provide a comprehensive anthology of the artist’s oeuvre. Compare the situation to any censored version of a movie, which would you rather go and see?
I hope that the architectural features of the museum will be such that this alone will be the reason for me to visit the museum. Yes, it will bring tourists and yes, it will be of great importance to the country and the region, a very welcome addition which will give the UAE another spot on the map, if only....
On the other hand, what credibility does it give the Guggenheim collection other then being able to say, our largest museum is in Abu Dhabi?
Hink Huisman is a design and marketing communications strategist based in Dubai