Museums and National Identity

One of the most exciting aspects of living in the United Arab Emirates – and particularly in Abu Dhabi – is witnessing the incredible and intentional growth of a country. And I am not referring only to economic growth, because what is happening in the UAE goes beyond that: I am referring to the country’s strong commitment to culture.

If we limit ourselves to Abu Dhabi and to the field of art, we can mention an international art fair, a public art biennial, the Louvre Museum, and two major museums soon to open: the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim.

It may seem like an idle or even trivial question, but one might ask: why? What is the goal a country pursues when it invests its energy in culture?

This question is vast, perhaps too vast, because it does not admit a single answer, but many. For example, one of the factors to consider is certainly the economic one, as museums have always been an important engine of the cultural economy. Not only do they attract visitors and generate direct revenue, but they also stimulate a vast ecosystem that includes hotels, restaurants, transportation, tour guides, and service providers. In this sense, museums function as drivers of local economic development, capable of regenerating entire neighborhoods and transforming a country into a cultural destination of reference.

But once again, let us set aside the economic element and try to delve deeper into the matter. Let us imagine ourselves as visitors to a museum whose exhibits say nothing to us. Can we truly consider this a museum?

Even a modest private collection of objects and paintings can communicate something to us: by visiting, for example, a private collection that displays only religious-themed works, we might deduce that the collector was a very pious and devout person.

But a museum that communicates absolutely nothing is unthinkable – almost a contradiction in terms.

The Louvre in Paris, for example, was created with the aim of being a universal museum, one that tells the story of the art of all civilizations. And since the late 18th century, the Louvre has been carrying out this noble mission.

But it is important to underline that the very idea of a “universal museum” is the product of a specific historical moment and a specific culture: that of Enlightenment and Revolutionary France. The universalism of the Louvre thus arises from a well-defined worldview, in which France assumed the role — even symbolically — of mediator among civilizations. Even the Louvre, therefore, as universal as it may be, remains the product of a nation’s culture.

Often, the museum has the very task of allowing a people or a nation to identify with it at the very moment it opens itself to others. It is one of the highest attempts created by humanity to know itself through the eyes of others — almost like a stage actor who comes to life and awareness only when there is an audience watching.

The latest definition of “Museum” by ICOM (International Council of Museums) is emblematic in this regard:

A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.

A museum, therefore, must look to the community in which it is housed, and for this reason, it also plays a very important educational role. It is not a static entity, defined once and for all, but a living organism in continuous dialogue with the present. A museum that educates, narrates, welcomes, and builds identity. In this sense, cultural investment is never an end in itself, but a long-term strategic act that influences the education of citizens, the strengthening of the social fabric, and the international projection of a country.

And that is exactly what is happening in the United Arab Emirates. The opening of museums such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the forthcoming inauguration of the Guggenheim and the Zayed National Museum are not merely architectural or symbolic milestones, but fundamental steps in a process of national awareness, aimed at building a vision of the future in which culture, education, and intercultural dialogue are at the heart of the development project.

In an era marked by conflict, investing in spaces of knowledge and beauty is a powerful signal. Choosing to fund culture — and therefore museums — means believing that economic progress cannot be separated from human progress. And in this sense, the Emirates seem to have understood this perfectly.