Manuel Rabate is stepping down from his role as director of Louvre Abu Dhabi to become chief executive and director of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi, India.
Rabate has led Louvre Abu Dhabi's team since 2016, overseeing the museum's opening in 2017.
He will relocate to India as the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art prepares to open its new space, which is “envisioned as the largest integrated cultural centre in India” according to museum representatives. It will span more than 93,000 square metres on the National Highway (NH8) in Delhi.
“I came with my family to Abu Dhabi to work and to open Louvre Abu Dhabi more than a decade ago. And I'm very proud of the achievement and of offering this incredible universal museum to the world,” Rabate tells The National, adding that in his opinion the museum has “changed the experience of Abu Dhabi for visitors and residents”.
He adds: “I believe this experience of opening and operating a museum in all its dimensions is what I will bring to the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art: the ability to make it a reality. I hope I'll be remembered as a man capable of bridging all the cultures of the world, of always having local relevance and international reach.”
The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art is currently under construction, with completion expected within the next two to three years. The museum previously occupied a space at the Saket District Centre in New Delhi.
“Manuel Rabate is one of the international art world’s most experienced and respected leaders, with a 10-year record of exceptional success heading Louvre Abu Dhabi,” says Kiran Nadar, founder and chairwoman of the KNMA, of Rabate's appointment.
“As we prepare to inaugurate the new, greatly expanded Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, which, at over one million square feet, will be the largest museum and cultural centre in South Asia, we welcome Manuel Rabate as a chief executive and director with the vision and skills to achieve our highest aspirations.”
Before joining Louvre Abu Dhabi, Rabate served as chief financial officer, secretary general, and chief executive at international museum consultancy France Museums from 2008 to 2016. He is a Knight of France’s National Order of Merit and the Order of Arts and Letters.
Nadar is one of India's most significant art collectors. The museum’s collection currently stands at more than 16,000 artworks from South Asia, featuring significant modernist and contemporary works. Nadar is now broadening the scope of the collection to include classical, folk and tribal art, with pieces spanning from the third to 20th centuries.
The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art space will serve as a multidisciplinary institution, incorporating visual and performing arts. Designed by Sir David Adjaye, it will house temporary galleries, along with a rotation of works from Nadar's vast collection.
The design for the new museum was unveiled at the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2023. Discussing his vision for the space with Glenn Lowry, former director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, as the project was unveiled, Adjaye described it as “a cluster of buildings that are surrounding courtyard spaces. For me, that's a response to the incredible heritage of India in terms of dealing with the climate and the richness of the culture".
Adjaye is the architect behind the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi.
The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art was founded in 2010 and has since established itself as a platform for modern and contemporary visual art in India and South Asia. A non-commercial, non-profit institution supported by the Shiv Nadar Foundation, the KNMA presents exhibitions, commissions and performances.
