We stood mesmerised in the Egyptian gallery at Manarat Al Saadiyat before a curious, clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform script. This was a letter from the Canaanite ruler of Ammuru to Akhentanen – the controversial Egyptian king who single-handedly brought in the Amarna art-form, did away with the Egyptian gods and priesthood to establish the cult of Aten as the national religion, and moved the ancient capital from Thebes to a flat, desert-location that was named el-Amarna. This tablet from 1400 BCE belonged to the Pharaoh’s astonishing royal archive of correspondence. But by no means does one need to be an Egyptologist to appreciate its value.
The Treasures of the World’s Cultures exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat has not only brought a breathtaking treasure trove of artefacts to Abu Dhabi, it has also brought all the stories that go along with those artefacts. Stories which broaden our view of a human history that is glorious, inspiring and poignant, and which prove that the past is never necessarily primitive, and the present is all the richer when viewed within the context of history and while laying claim to the legacy of the ancients.
The aforementioned stories came as part and parcel of the exhibition talks, which have been running since April. The first two, Treasures and Sacred Creations, looked at the importance of made objects and the representation of faith and religion. The last one, Leadership in Human History scheduled for June 20, explores politics and questions of leadership across continents from the time of the Egyptians to modern day. If you’ve missed the first two, we urge you to mark the date for the last one in your diary.
Tairone Bastien, Public Programmes Manager at Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, told us all about the exhibition and accompanying series of talks when we caught up with him for a chat.
What’s the star piece of the exhibition in your opinion?
There’s an amazing piece – the goddess in the Greek-Roman gallery. It’s the bronze head from a statue that scientists haven’t been able to identify, but they think it might be of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. It’s a beautiful representation. Also, audiences are excited to see a real mummy. We have both a sarcophagus and a fully-wrapped mummy on view.
That’s fantastic. And though this is a joint venture with the British Museum, not all the pieces are from the British Museum, right?
That’s right. We have pieces from the Al-Ain National Museum and the Sharjah Archaeology Museum too. There are some remarkable objects from the UAE in the exhibition, and what’s great is that we’ve put these objects in to the context of a world-historical story. The exhibition gives an overview of the development of world cultures over two million years of history. It crosses all continents and looks at the cultural developments that important civilisations have brought to the world, through the objects and works of art
they created.
Can you tell us about the talks?
There is a rich and diverse public programme of talks, workshops and special events developed around the exhibition. The talks help us delve deeper into some of the important themes explored through the exhibition. The first of these took place on the evening of the opening, with Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum. He gave us the most amazing insight and told stories about many of the objects on view. The next talk was on the subject of Faith and Religion in Human History. It examined how faith is represented differently through hand-made objects across cultures, many of which are in the exhibition.
And what’s the last talk about?
The final one will be on Leadership and Human History, and it will look at how leadership and power is represented in objects, from the Egyptians to the Romans, all the way to modern times. Thorston Opper, a curator at the British Museum, will be speaking on this topic and he will be joined by Dr Walid Yasin from Al Ain National Museum. Dr Yasin has been working in Al Ain for 40 years, and has been instrumental in developing the Al Ain archaeological sites. In fact, he was key in getting them classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This is an amazing accomplishment. He’ll be talking about his remarkable finds in Al Ain and connecting them to the story of the UAE, and to Sheikh Zayed and his important actions and ideas of leadership.
Leadership in Human History is scheduled for June 20 at Manarat Al Saadiyat from 6.30pm. On June 6, Manarat Al Saadiyat will host Artscape of World Cultures, a family-orientated day of workshops focussing on culture and cultural expression based on the cultures represented at the exhibition. Treasures of the World’s Cultures is running until July 17 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island (02 657 8000).
