Construction on Guggenheim Abu Dhabi to be completed by 2025

The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is on track for completion by 2025, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is the latest installment in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s international constellation of museums and will be dedicated to modern and contemporary art and programming, a statement said.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will also provide a first-of-its-kind platform for artists from the UAE and the Gulf, the West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia (WANASA) region and the world to create commissioned works and engage with global audiences. It will be a part of Abu Dhabi’s growing network of cultural institutions, including Louvre Abu Dhabi, New York University, Manarat Al Saadiyat and the Cultural Foundation.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is set for completion by 2025, to be part of a thriving community of cultural institutions in Abu Dhabi. pic.twitter.com/cC9BBs7kHC

— Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (@dctabudhabi) September 29, 2021

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Guggenheim Abu Dhabi advances Abu Dhabi’s position as a dynamic centre for arts and culture. The region’s pre-eminent museum of global modern and contemporary art, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will present an equitable platform for art from all over the world. The museum will also play a civic role through its mission to spark wider interest in global modern and contemporary art, fostering diversity and inclusion in a meaningful cultural exchange. As we move forward with our plans, it is crucial to recognise the impact of this museum in realising our vision for the Emirate’s culture and creative industries.”

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is being established and developed by DCT Abu Dhabi in collaboration with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. It is the largest and most expansive of its constellation of museums, which includes the Guggenheim Museum in New York designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Guggenheim Bilbao designed by architect Frank Gehry, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection housed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni in Venice.

Richard Armstrong, director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, stated: “The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, housed in Frank Gehry’s distinctive building, will be home to an expansive and evolving collection of artworks that advance multiple perspectives on the global histories of modern and contemporary art, with a particular focus on art from West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia.

“Abu Dhabi is a vibrant and diverse cultural centre with a global outlook and rapidly growing creative economy, making it the ideal location for a new international museum. We are grateful to the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, our partners in this bold collaboration. It is with great enthusiasm that we look forward to sharing the museum’s collection, programming, and building with the public at the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.”

The museum has been curating and delivering engaging public programming for its audiences since its inception. It also organised a public programme highlighting contemporary artists from around the world and most recently, launched its ‘Spotlight’ video series on the Abu Dhabi Culture social media platforms.