Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Minister of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi, inaugurated the second international exhibition of the year, The Story of Paper, at the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi. The exhibition is open to the public from 20 April to 24 July. Organized by the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi in conjunction with the Louvre Museum and the French Museum, the exhibition aims to explore the various forms of artistic expression of paper and help people understand this familiar multi-purpose material more fully.
"The Story of Paper" was curated by Xavier Salmon, Chief Curator and Director of the Drawing and Printmaking Department of the Louvre Museum in France, and Victor Hundsbuckler, Curator of the Drawing and Printmaking Department, with the support of Dr. Souraya Noujaim, Director of the Department of Science, Curation and Collection Management at the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi. Amna Rashed Al Zaabi, Senior Curatorial Assistant at the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, Charlotte Maury, Art Collection Manager, Islamic Art Collection, Louvre Museum, France, and Cristina Cramerotti from the Museum of Asian Art in Kyrgyzstan also assisted.
The exhibition features nearly 100 works of art and objects from 16 museums, cultural institutions and private collections, including books, manuscripts, paintings, replica models of houses, and 13 contemporary works of art and installations on paper. In the exhibition, visitors will travel through time and space to explore the artistic expression of paper in different cultural contexts, and will also have the opportunity to experience a variety of multicultural activities.
Manuel Rabaté, Director of the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi, said: "With the growing prevalence of digital transformation and the dematerialization of the tactile experience, it is of great significance that the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi is holding an exhibition on the theme of paper, a common but precious material. From books, manuscripts and paintings to contemporary works of paper art or installations, the 'Story of Paper' exhibition will delve into the history of the single medium of paper, including the use of paper and its key features, such as transparency and robustness, thus providing visitors with a unique perspective on the use of paper at different times and in different regions. We also had the privilege of inviting renowned EMI artists to the dialogue and will feature works by UAE conceptual art pioneers such as Hassan Sharif, Abdullah Al Saadi and Mohammed Kazem. Finally, special thanks to the Louvre Museum, the French Museum Organization, as well as all collection lenders and private collections, whose successful holding of this exhibition is inseparable from their strong support. ”
Laurence des Cars, Director of the Louvre Museum in France, said: "The Story of Paper will feature a large number of loan collections from the Louvre Museum in France, the Musée d'Art agia Adérocé, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the Centre Pompidou, the National and University Library of Strasbourg, the Library saint-Geneviere, the Sharjah Art Foundation, the Zayed National Museum and the Locust Hill County Museum, as well as the permanent collection of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi. The exhibit also includes works of Arabic and European contemporary art, such as Labyrinth by the famous Italian contemporary artist Michelangelo Pestreto, which affirms the eternal importance of paper for human beings. It also reflects the essence of the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi, which is to be able to bring together a wide variety of collections that are difficult to see elsewhere, and only the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi can do. ”
"The Story of Paper" contains a total of 12 thematic sections, all of which highlight the characteristics of paper and the different uses that span centuries through immersive scene design. These thematic sections include: plant origin; an affordable, widely used multi-purpose material; development history; color; transparency and translucency; a versatile alternative material; a medium for reproducing works of art; fragility and resilience; space; possibilities for collection; an annotated space associating commentary and images, a relic; and an extendable medium. Through this exhibition, visitors can also learn about the tools and principles used to make paper, while having the opportunity to observe the different textures of the paper through the equipment.
Curators Xavier Salmon and Victor Hundsbuckler said: "The 'Paper Story' exhibition is in line with the current boom in contemporary creative and innovative technology in the UAE. Today, digital technology is permeating every aspect of people's daily lives, and we hope to use this exhibition to stimulate people's curiosity about paper as an everyday material. This exhibition aims to achieve this through 12 themes and to show the development of paper worldwide. In addition to paintings, the exhibition will also showcase the various artistic expressions of paper, allowing visitors to marvel at the common but versatile medium of paper and enrich their understanding of paper. ”
Dr Souraa Noujaim, Director of Science, Curation and Collection Management at the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi, said: "Throughout history, the role of paper has been reflected in all aspects of social life, and there is no doubt about it. Nowadays, there is a wave of nostalgia for paper as a material and its various common uses in daily life. But in fact, the paper has not disappeared. It is still an indispensable material in people's daily lives, and its charm has never diminished. This is evident in the 'Paper Story' exhibited artworks. We are honored to be able to use this exhibition to present for the first time the works of many of uae's leading contemporary artists, such as Hassan Sharif, Abdullah Al Saadi and Muhammad Kazem. Their work fully demonstrates the nature of paper as a medium and the eternal importance of this simple and unique medium to today's society. ”
Cultural and educational activities
Along with the "Story of Paper" exhibition, the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi will also launch a series of colorful cultural and educational activities. During the exhibition, the public can further explore the exhibition by watching the online talk show and recorded podcast of the curator of "The Story of Paper" on the official website of the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi or at the client.
On 4 May, the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi will host a film concert in collaboration with Cinema Akil, The Berkeley Conservatory Abu Dhabi Campus, Goethe-Institut, Irtijal and Metropolis Art Cinema – featuring the perfect blend of music and film while playing the classic silent animated film The Adventures of Prince Archimedes, directed by Lot Reniger. The film screening activities will select films from different cultural backgrounds around the world to provide audiences with a pleasant and diverse viewing experience. On May 5, several films about paper will be released, including Kubo and the Two Strings, a 12-year-old Japanese boy who makes a living by manipulating origami flying with music (parent-child sketching will be held after the film ends); and three short films ("The Dot", "Sky Color" and "ISH") designed to stimulate children's creativity and encourage them to create their own dots, lines and more.
During the exhibition, the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi will also host a series of educational activities for adults, families and teenagers, including: an exhibition quick tour; a masterclass of paper and printmaking creativity hosted by Emirati artists aimed at cultivating children's abstract thinking; hands-on activities that allow children to try out portraits and other objects using different types of paper; and guided tours for young audiences to help young audiences understand the properties and historical stories of paper. Emirati artist Taqwa Al Naqbi will also offer an online masterclass on papermaking craftsmanship, inspired by a Qur'an manuscript commissioned by Sultan Abdullah II Al Sa'adi, to teach people how to make handmade paper and to have fun for the whole family through drawing plant illustrations.
The "Paper Stories" magazine will be available in Arabic, English and French.
Source: Qianlong Network