So yesterday the Louvre Abu Dhabi shut the doors for the very last time on the Cartier, Islamic arts and Modern Design exhibition, after we have delivered many, many (many!) tours in that exhibition.
But there is no rest for the weary!
Tomorrow already the next temporary exhibition From Kalila wa Dimna to La Fontaine - Journeys through Fables is opening! So, time to reset and refocus!
Last week there was training on the exhibition by the curators from La BnF (Bibliotheque Nationale de France), and I was really happy that this time I was there for these sessions. They are very helpful of course. I was a bit dubious about 'another' exhibition covering mostly manuscripts to be honest, but, after having seen the space the other day I got excited. It is a really beautiful exhibition!
The history of fables begin with the oral tradition of stories being passed down from generation to generation. The genre can be divided into two distinct traditions. The first originated in India, in a written tradition from 2nd century in a collection called the Panchatantra.
This tradition developed further around Ibn al-Muqaffa in the Arab-Islamic world, who translated the Panchatantra (and added some other fables too) into Arabic and the text of Kalila wa Dimna in the 8th century.
In parallel, the other tradition of fables first appeared in the Greco-Roman world around 6th century BCE, attributed to the mythical figure of Aesop.
These two traditions travelled for centuries, they were translated, transformed, expanded, adapted and enjoyed considerable success; culminating with the French fabulist Jean de la Fontaine in the 17th century, who borrowed from both traditions when writing his stories.
A version of the fable of The Fox and The Stork, written by King Louis XV in his own hand. He was only 12 years old when he copied this story in both French and Latin, to learn its morals.
The exhibition is divided into three sections. In the first part you get to follow the journey of the texts over time, through numerous adaptations and translations.
In the second part it looks into the content of the fables and the moral messages they convey. The space is beautiful, I really liked the colour scheme chosen for this exhibition.
It doesn't only encompass manuscripts, but also showcases artworks to illustrate how these fables inspired artists to create ornamentation of everyday objects.
An illustration from 1927-1931 by Marc Chagall for the fable of The Two Pigeons.
The last part of the exhibition focuses on the Eastern tradition in the 21st century with a diverse selection of artworks from contemporary artists, and a reading corner for the visitors to continue to explore the different fables.
I think this will be a very popular exhibition, especially with all of the school students visiting.
This exhibition indeed is a shining example of the universal approach that has guided Louvre Abu Dhabi since the very beginning, forging links between Eastern and Western traditions. Fables draws on themes of concern to all - they truly have a universal dimension.
I'm already looking forward to delivering my first tour!
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