Uncreative, Repressive, Third World Culture Forced to Borrow Art from The West

[Termagant]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co...icle/2007/03/10/AR2007031001261_2.html

In the largest foreign museum deal in French history, the petro-rich but museum-poor Persian Gulf emirate agreed last week to pay France $1.3 billion to borrow the Louvre's name and hundreds of its artworks, as well as treasures from the Picasso Museum, Pompidou Center, Chateau de Versailles and other French museums.

French President Jacques Chirac described the mega-museum agreement as an important way of bridging what the "world considers a clash of civilizations" between Islam and the West. To many French art experts and historians, however, it represents little more than putting the nation's priceless patrimony up for rent.

But none of the plans has caused as much uproar as the Abu Dhabi Louvre, one component of a $27 billion arts center the emirate is creating on the sands of the 10-square-mile island of Saadiyat, just off its mainland. The center is Abu Dhabi's effort to compete with glitzy, neighboring Dubai for tourists and international recognition.

Why doesn't the Muslim world produce the amount of artwork and literature that the West has been able to? Another thing I don't understand is why would anyone want to vacation in the Middle East? Aren't there plenty of nice places around the world where female travelers won't have to become sub human 2nd class citizens and there is no danger of getting your head sawed off?

 

[Orignal Earl]

Originally posted by: Termagant

Why doesn't the Muslim world produce the amount of artwork and literature that the West has been able to? Another thing I don't understand is why would anyone want to vacation in the Middle East? Aren't there plenty of nice places around the world where female travelers won't have to become sub human 2nd class citizens and there is no danger of getting your head sawed off?

Looks to me like the Louvre is chock full of Middle Eastern artwork

 

[babylon5]

It's a trick!! Terrorists will blow it up w/o traveling too far from their home.

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: Termagant
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co...icle/2007/03/10/AR2007031001261_2.html

In the largest foreign museum deal in French history, the petro-rich but museum-poor Persian Gulf emirate agreed last week to pay France $1.3 billion to borrow the Louvre's name and hundreds of its artworks, as well as treasures from the Picasso Museum, Pompidou Center, Chateau de Versailles and other French museums.

French President Jacques Chirac described the mega-museum agreement as an important way of bridging what the "world considers a clash of civilizations" between Islam and the West. To many French art experts and historians, however, it represents little more than putting the nation's priceless patrimony up for rent.

But none of the plans has caused as much uproar as the Abu Dhabi Louvre, one component of a $27 billion arts center the emirate is creating on the sands of the 10-square-mile island of Saadiyat, just off its mainland. The center is Abu Dhabi's effort to compete with glitzy, neighboring Dubai for tourists and international recognition.

Why doesn't the Muslim world produce the amount of artwork and literature that the West has been able to? Another thing I don't understand is why would anyone want to vacation in the Middle East? Aren't there plenty of nice places around the world where female travelers won't have to become sub human 2nd class citizens and there is no danger of getting your head sawed off?

1) Why doesn't the Muslim world produce the amount of artwork and literature that the West has been able to?

The fact that Muslim artist are forbidden to portray any human or animal form has traditionally been quite a problem for figurative arts as we in the west consider them... they have made amazing art, but westerners usually don't know/understand it because it looks very different from what we are used to. Architecture is probably the art where links are easier to make and a walk around Istanbul would quickly change your mind about art producing capacity in the Muslim world. I know nothing of middle eastern literature, so I'm not commenting on this.

2) Another thing I don't understand is why would anyone want to vacation in the Middle East? Aren't there plenty of nice places around the world where female travelers won't have to become sub human 2nd class citizens and there is no danger of getting your head sawed off?

You've never been to the Emirates I guess, otherwise you would know why it has become one of top business tourism hubs in the world. Dubai is currently one of the fastest growing cities in the world, with real estate prices booming since the late '90s and enormous touristic projects starting every year. One of them, Dubai Waterfront, is roughly 7 times the Island of Manhattan and including what will be the world's tallest building. Here's some links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Dubai

http://www.bentbay.dk/Dubai_fromTop.jpg

http://www.lostpostcards.com/Dubai_burjalarab.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imageubai_Marina.jpg

 

[CanOWorms]

This is basically another case of ugly French racism manifesting itself again. They don't want their precious art to go to "undesirables."

 

[Termagant]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
This is basically another case of ugly French racism manifesting itself again. They don't want their precious art to go to "undesirables."

The biggest racists are Muslims. This situation is analogous to the French whining if their art was being loaned to the KKK Art Museum.

 

[blackllotus]

Originally posted by: Termagant

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
This is basically another case of ugly French racism manifesting itself again. They don't want their precious art to go to "undesirables."

The biggest racists are Muslims. This situation is analogous to the French whining if their art was being loaned to the KKK Art Museum.

So now Muslims are like Klan members?

 

[JEDIYoda]

I just love reading threads where the level of intellect is slim to none....

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: Termagant

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
This is basically another case of ugly French racism manifesting itself again. They don't want their precious art to go to "undesirables."

The biggest racists are Muslims. This situation is analogous to the French whining if their art was being loaned to the KKK Art Museum.

Not even close.

Where was the massive uproar about Louvre Atlanta?

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
This is basically another case of ugly French racism manifesting itself again. They don't want their precious art to go to "undesirables."

I think they would have the same reaction if it was a loan to Sweden. It's a 30 years rotation program... 30 years is quite a long period of time...

That being said, French museums have a patrimony rivaled only by Italian ones, they could afford to lend out 3 times as much works and nobody would notice... they literally have underground vaults exploding with stuff they don't know where to display...

But again, museum curators and art critiques are always nervous about works leaving their walls...