Harlem's Studio Museum pays tribute to Black culture and the artists of African descent who foster and drive its vitality. Photo: AFP
From the United States to China to the United Arab Emirates, 2024 promises to be a year rich in museum openings.
Here are just some of the new cultural institutions scheduled to open in the coming months.
THE NINTENDO MUSEUM, KYOTO (JAPAN)
It's surprising that a museum dedicated to Nintendo hasn't seen the light of day sooner, given the firm's contribution to Japan's global influence. But Mario and Zelda fans will be pleased to hear that the museum is due to open later this year.
The Nintendo Museum is housed in one of the company's oldest factories in Kyoto. It is structured around several galleries that retrace Nintendo's history in the video game sector. Console prototypes will be on display alongside limited-edition figurines and hanafuda, the traditional Japanese cards that the company sold before entering the video game business.
Nintendo has not given an exact date for the opening of its new museum, although construction is due to be completed in March.
THE UNIVERSAL WINE MUSEUM, BEIJING (CHINA)
Historically more partial to beer and strong spirits, China is nonetheless a wine-loving country. As such, the Universal Wine Museum is due to open soon in the Fangshan district on the outskirts of Beijing.
This 18,500sq m museum is largely inspired by the Cite du Vin in Bordeaux, France, although it focuses more on the history and culture of wine in China. It comprises five exhibition spaces, covering themes such as vines, wines and essences. There will also be an auditorium, a restaurant and a wine school.
The Universal Wine Museum aims to bring together all those involved in the wine industry, as well as wine lovers -- whether from China or elsewhere -- seeking to learn more. It is due to open in May, although the exact date is yet to be announced.
THE ZAYED NATIONAL MUSEUM (UAE)
The United Arab Emirates is striving to achieve a new form of international visibility by endowing itself with numerous museums. Since 2016, the UAE has been working on the opening of the Zayed National Museum.
This art establishment, designed by Norman Foster, is topped by five steel wings reminiscent of falcon wings, a national symbol and emblem of the United Arab Emirates. The institution's name pays homage to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder and historic leader of the UAE.
Visitors will be able to learn about the history and culture of the United Arab Emirates through a collection of works of art and antiquities yet to be unveiled by the Zayed National Museum. Still, the museum's oldest piece is known to be a fossil of a rudist clam, a species of mollusc that has been extinct for millennia.
The Zayed National Museum will be located on Saadiyat Island, a stone's throw from the Louvre Abu Dhabi. This cultural district will also be home to the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi when it is completed. The authorities have not yet announced the exact opening date of the Zayed National Museum, although it is expected to be set by the end of the year.
THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM (US)
The Studio Museum pays tribute to Black culture and the artists of African descent who foster and drive its vitality. First opened in 1968, the museum will soon be housed in a brand-new 7,600sq m building. It was designed by the architectural firm Adjaye Associates to blend seamlessly into the Harlem landscape.
Visitors will be able to admire over 9,000 works of art in all four corners of this new six-story building, with experiences extending beyond the official galleries. Creative studios for artists in residence, spaces dedicated to educational activities, an auditorium and a terrace have also been fitted out to make the Studio Museum in Harlem a place for all kinds of encounters.This art establishment is due to open its doors in the coming months, although the exact opening date has not yet been announced.
THE GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM, CAIRO (EGYPT)
It will have taken 10 years - and over a billion US dollars - to build the Grand Egyptian Museum, just a stone's throw from the famous pyramids of Giza. Designed in 2003 by the architectural firm Heneghan Peng, the new museum spans 490,000sq m with multiple parks, gardens and fountains.
It houses over 100,000 works of art and artieacts, 50,000 of which are on permanent display in a chronological sequence stretching from prehistory to the Greco-Roman period.
But the highlight of this vast collection is the treasure of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. It will be displayed in its entirety for the first time since the discovery of the Egyptian king's tomb in 1922.
The Grand Egyptian Museum is due to open by the end of the year, after repeated delays. It will be the world's largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation (that of Ancient Egypt). - AFP
