Arts community urged to support Abu Dhabi's cultural ambition

The call came from His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (ADACH) and of Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), the UAE capital's leading tourism and cultural asset developer, at the opening of a major arts symposium in Abu Dhabi.

The symposium, 'The Arts Of Islam', was attended by over two hundred of the region's leading arts academics and was staged to coincide with the opening of the 'Arts Of Islam: Treasures From the Nasser D. Khalili Collection' which is running in Emirates Palace until April 22nd.

Opening the symposium, Sheikh Sultan said Abu Dhabi had for some time recognised the key role culture and art can play in the development of society by providing a new communications platform bridging various cultures and nationalities.

"With this in mind, the Government of Abu Dhabi, under the directives of Their Highnesses Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Government has allocated considerable resources to progress the UAE capital's transformation into a centre of culture not only on a regional level, but on the world stage," said Sheikh Sultan.

"The opening of this exhibition and the staging of this symposium and other arts programmes confirms the Government's intention to keep going forward with its plans to develop the UAE population by providing them with education, training and new career opportunities."

Sheikh Sultan said the Government's most solid commitment to its overarching cultural aims is the building of the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island, the 27 square kilometre natural island which lies just 500 metres offshore Abu Dhabi city. The Cultural District, which is being developed by TDIC, will be home to the largest single cluster of world-class cultural assets including the Sheikh Zayed National Museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, a performing arts centre, maritime museum and series of arts pavilions.

The staging of the 'Arts Of Islam' exhibition, which features 500 works of arts from the celebrated Khalili Collection, some of which have never been seen before, is part of a long-term arts education initiative undertaken by Abu Dhabi to build a national psyche of arts appreciation in the run-up to the opening of the Cultural District components.

"Although we are fully aware of the important value of the 'Arts Of Islam' exhibition, it is only one step forward in our journey and it will be very difficult, if not almost impossible, to deliver on our aim without the support of you all," Sheikh Sultan told symposium delegates.

The symposium was addressed by seven of the world's most eminent Islamic art experts including Professor Nasser D. Khalili, the Islamic scholar, author and collector who amassed his collection over 30 years.

Opening the symposium, HE Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Vice Chairman of ADACH, said the exhibition currently being shown in Gallery One of Emirates Palace was part of a collection "widely recognised today as the leading single most significant Arts of Islam collection in the world."

He told delegates: "Several countries and individuals have succeeded in the past in bringing together important Islamic Art collections and are justifiably proud of having been able to acquire and exhibit them in public museums or in private collections. Yet most of them tend to be country, theme or region specific. Each one on its own is, of course, truly magnificent. Yet, to my knowledge, Prof. Khalili's collection is the only one that has managed to bring together over the last 30 years Islamic art from 50 different Muslim countries spanning, both in depth and content, the entire history of Islamic civilisation. This is an outstanding achievement. The exhibition he has brought to Abu Dhabi is the first to be shown in the Middle East and the largest exhibited anywhere."

Nusseibeh said Abu Dhabi chose to host the 'Arts Of Islam' exhibition because of its direct connection to the emirate's heritage and, "more precisely because it sheds light on the universal, humane and esthetical dimension in Islam, through its focus on the arts and crafts in Islamic civilisation throughout the ages and the different periods of Islamic history around the globe."

He added that the world class museums being built on Saadiyat Island should be understood as part of the Abu Dhabi Government's "overall strategy to reinforce Abu Dhabi's engagement with its own heritage and history and to underline its commitment to the authentic voice of its inner national identity."

"We in Abu Dhabi feel it is important for us to remain connected to the real values inherent in Islam and that it is also imperative for young generations in our community, and in others, to connect to this aspect of Islam, to learn from it and use it as a motivation to find out about their history, civilisation and heritage and be proud of its achievements.

"It is vital that our youth can connect with their history and find ways of adapting its experience to make it resonate with their contemporary life, helping to develop it into their new reality."

Gallery One in Emirates Palace has been transformed into a 'museum within a palace' to host 'The Arts Of Islam' which runs daily from 10am until 10pm. Visitors are simply asked to make a nominal donation as entry with proceeds going to the Emirates Foundation - a philanthropic organisation based in Abu Dhabi with a vision of implementing strategic projects that benefit the UAE nation, particularly its youth. On Tuesdays the exhibition is open to ladies only from 10am-4pm.