The Louvre Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Musée des Arts Décoratif, Paris, is hosting a unique exhibition, ’10,000 Years of Luxury’ from 30 October 2019 to 18 February 2020. The exhibition will try to decipher what makes something luxurious and so covetable and answer questions such as ‘ What is luxury?’ and how exactly did people perceive it 10,000 years ago up until now, in various cultures and its impact on the evolution of society? This will be showcased through 350 extraordinary objects from across fashion, jewellery, art, furniture, design, and from extravagant offerings for the divine, to golden furniture fit for royalty and the iconic couture of fashion houses and virtuoso objects of luxury houses, as Christian Dior, Chanel, Cartier, Balenciaga and Hermès. It explores the prominent role of women in defining luxury, the ebb and flow between excess and moderation as well as notions of what elevates an object to the realm of precious – be it time, craftsmanship, or rarity.
Drawing on the collections of Musée des Arts Décoratifs and other French museums, this exhibition offers a rare chance to glimpse, revel in, and evaluate true luxury. Organised by Louvre Abu Dhabi, Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Agence France-Muséums, the exhibition is curated by Olivier Gabet, Director of Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
Inspired by this exhibition, Louvre Abu Dhabi will work with performers and artists to create priceless experiences with the theme ‘luxuries are what money can’t buy’.
Part of this will celebrate the place of the Diva in the history of popular music through concerts led by local and international singers offering tributes to the great divas Umm Kulthum and Fairuz as well as exploring the idea of the diva today.
The programme exemplifies a constant concept in the history of luxury, with the Diva as an objectified example of an intangible heritage form which moves through history from the exclusive world of the elite to the contemporary world of digital access and mass consumption.
Alongside the exhibition 10,000 Years of Luxury, Louvre Abu Dhabi presents the olfactory art installation; USO – The Perfumed Cloud (USO = Unidentified Scented Object) from 30 October to 1 February 2020, created by Maison Cartier’s in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent with Transsolar Klima Engineering. Continuing the museum’s mission to offer innovative experiences, this installation offers a magical sensory journey into a perfumed cloud
