The highly anticipated Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, will open its doors in 2026 featuring an innovative approach to contemporary art curation. The museum will display Western art giants including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Andy Warhol alongside lesser-known contemporary artists from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world, according to Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism.

"They're going to be within that collection, but right next to them, you'll have amazing contemporary artists that maybe, unfortunately, the vast public don't know much about," Al Mubarak explained during a recent briefing that marked the first detailed revelation of the museum's planned exhibitions. He emphasized that the new institution would serve as "a lot more than a museum," describing it as "really a civic space" and "a place that brings people together with music, food, dance and, of course, contemporary art."

Located on Saadiyat Island, known as the "Island of Happiness" and just a five-minute drive from downtown Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi represents the latest addition to the prestigious Guggenheim network, joining existing locations in New York, Venice, and Bilbao. Gehry, the celebrated "starchitect" who also designed the history-making Guggenheim Bilbao, has created another ambitious cultural landmark for the region.

The museum joins an impressive cultural district that already includes the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2017, and the Natural History Museum, which welcomed visitors earlier this year. The Zayed National Museum is scheduled to open next month, further establishing the area as a major international cultural destination. On the commercial front, the longstanding Abu Dhabi Art fair has recently expanded and will become part of the prestigious Frieze franchise next year.

The path to opening has been lengthy and complex, with the Guggenheim first announcing plans for the Gulf museum nearly two decades ago. Originally scheduled to open in 2012, the opening date was subsequently pushed back to 2017, then to 2022-23 amid various delays, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project also faced controversy in 2011 when several artists signed a public letter raising concerns about alleged human rights violations related to the construction.

Al Mubarak emphasized the museum's commitment to showcasing underrepresented voices in the art world. "The collection, which will span from the 1960s to today, is truly global," he stated. "It was imperative for us when we were assembling that collection that it focuses on contemporary artists who have not been given the light they deserve, whether it's because of their geographical location or their gender. We want to be unbiased in that." He also promised that Indigenous art would be "highly, highly focused" within the collection.

Looking toward the future of museum experiences, Al Mubarak described the planning process as forward-thinking and technologically innovative. "As much as possible, we've looked to think about, what does the 22nd-century museum look like?" he explained. The museum will incorporate cutting-edge technology including augmented reality and artificial intelligence to enhance visitor experiences and provide deeper contextual understanding of the artworks.

"We're using AR and AI in some cases and human storytelling of course," Al Mubarak detailed. "I don't want a visitor at the Guggenheim to come and say this is a beautiful Warhol, with a little panel that tells them this Warhol was painted at this time and that's it, thank you very much. That's easy, that's boring. What I want to know is, what was Warhol thinking at the specific time? Where was he living? What was going on with the environment around him?" This approach aims to create a more immersive and educational experience that goes beyond traditional museum displays to provide comprehensive context about artists' lives, motivations, and historical circumstances.