An iconic talk

The celebrations for Louvre Abu Dhabi and its 5th anniversary continues, and last night I participated in a talk about the role of contemporary art in museums. But it wasn't just any talk this time, the participants were the iconic artists Michelangelo Pistoletto, Yan Pei-Ming and Nujoom Al Ghanem. Also in the room, in the audience, were Jenny Holzer and - the architect of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Jean Nouvel!

So inspiring to get to listen to the thoughts and ideas of these creative minds.
The loveliest moment of the evening was when Yan Pei-Ming shared how embarrassed he used to be over the fact that he doesn't speak English (he speaks Chinese and French), like all other artists. This was what has inspired and spurred him on to create art that speaks to everyone, no matter their language. I thought that was such a lovely thing, and Pei-Ming seems like such a gentle soul. It was a very moving moment.

Here they all are, from left to right: Jean Nouvel, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Nujoom Al Ghanem, Jenny Holzer and Yan Pei-Ming. Living legends. Amazing to get to see them in the flesh, considering how many times we have been talking about and presenting their works of art during our tours..!

After the talk Kathleen and I went to have a look at the new large-scale light projections by Jenny Holzer, on and from the architecture of the museum. She is reconnecting to the artwork she created for the museum when it was constructed, to the theme of creation, and here features words by poets, artists and others she admires from the region, and beyond.