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Earth of the World by Giuseppe Penone is part of Germination, an ensemble of four works commissioned by the Louvre Abu Dhabi. (Another is Leaves of Light which you can see in the Gallery slideshow on the right.) The vase is made from coloured clays from the United Arab Emirates. The mosaic, which simulates a giant shadow of the vase, is comprised of handfuls of clay found around the world, the shapes of which are imprints of the artist's hand.
Behind the Walking Man, On a Column by Auguste Rodin, is a large-scale intaglio from the Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldun. The 14th century texts from Mesopotamia – a lyrical account of the creation of the world by the first humans – were written on a clay tablet in Sumerian and Akkadian. Using state-of-the-art technology, contemporary artist Jenny Holzer enlarged and engraved excerpts of the cuneiform scripts, the oldest of three historical texts, installed on three walls of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
One “asset” that was rumoured to be unveiled as a showcase at the Louvre Abu Dhabi is the controversial painting, Salvator Mundi (whereabouts unknown). It will turn up somewhere when the time is right…
Is it worth visiting the Louvre Abu Dhabi? Put it this way, if you are planning a trip to Abu Dhabi anyway, or passing through, it would be worth the distraction.
TIP: At the time of this writing, if you show your airline boarding pass, you will be eligible for a 20% discount on the Museum ticket price.