Guggenheim Abu Dhabi set to open in December; here's all you need to know

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will open its doors on December 11 this year, The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has announced.

The museum of modern and contemporary art will be a space for encounter and exchange, promoting a more connected and diverse global community through art. 

The museum has a unique identity and vision, shaped by Abu Dhabi’s artistic landscape and designed to reflect the United Arab Emirates’ stories and beyond, encouraging curiosity among younger generations about modern and contemporary art. 

Adding to Abu Dhabi’s cultural experiences

The museum joins a growing community of museums and cultural institutions in Saadiyat Cultural District, including Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi. 

Part of the group of Guggenheim museums in New York, Venice, and Bilbao, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi brings a distinct identity to the region’s arts and culture. 

His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, who is the chairman of Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is a defining moment in our cultural journey. The museum is shaped by the emirate’s long-held conviction that culture is the most enduring bridge between peoples and a building block for forward-looking societies. It brings new perspectives to modern and contemporary art, shining a light on art from all around the world. As a key element of Saadiyat Cultural District, the museum will create transformative new opportunities for learning, creativity, and cultural exchange, inspiring future generations to explore their own potential. Here, everyone belongs and can see themselves reflected in the stories the museum tells, engaging with ideas and artistic voices from across the world.”

Dr Mariët Westermann, director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, added, “The Guggenheim Foundation is proud and delighted to be a longstanding partner with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi in shaping a museum of contemporary art of magnificent scope and aspiration. The museum’s art collection is uniquely local and global, centred in the region but with works from all continents. Through the many stories it will tell and invite, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be a source of wonder, a hub of connection, and a place of curiosity and joy for people from the United Arab Emirates and the world.”

Role of the museum in Abu Dhabi

Envisioned as a platform for dialogue, the museum brings together diverse perspectives across geographies and generations through modern and contemporary art. Spanning a wide range of artistic media including painting, sculpture, installation, photography, moving image, and new media, the museum presents art as a dynamic and evolving conversation across time and place. 

Placing the visitor at the centre, the museum offers an open exploratory experience, where each journey unfolds across interconnected narratives of time, place, and theme.

Designed by the late Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Frank Gehry, the museum is located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, a meeting point between land and sea. A rooted architectural landmark that will offer a new perspective and invite visitors to be part of the curatorial journey of the museum.

Inspiration for the architecture

Extending the visitor journey through interconnected spaces, the architecture of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is an integral part of the artistic experience. The museum is designed to impress at every level, delivering a powerful presence externally and an immersive experience within. The building features 30 galleries that unfold across the interior, connected by a central atrium and ten sculptural cones that punctuate the building’s dynamic skyline. Nine are clad in stainless steel mesh and one in onyx and glass. 

Reaching heights of up to 88 metres, the sculptural cones provide natural ventilation and shade, enhancing the building’s energy efficiency while articulating its bold silhouette. Spanning 11,600 square metres of interior gallery space and 23,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition areas, the landmark encompasses a total built-up area of 80,000 square metres, reinforcing its role as one of the most significant museum developments, suited to the impressive size, variety of media, and experimental character of art since 1960.

Since 2009, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi has been building a growing collection of modern and contemporary art that will reflect and advance Abu Dhabi’s role as a catalyst for creative production and innovation in the arts. Guests will be invited to engage with art on their own terms, shaping individual pathways through galleries that consider major vectors of art since 1960, such as Abstractions, Popular Culture, Land, Language, and Storytelling. 

The displays unfold connections across geographies, generations, and artistic practices, and will provide dynamic frameworks for understanding the art of our own time as a source of knowledge, expression and connection while inviting visitors to explore art history through relationships and resonances rather than a linear chronology.

More information about the collection and commissions will be announced in the coming months.