Amid cultural clash, Louvre honors Islamic art 

Amid cultural clash, Louvre honors Islamic art 
The Louvre museum is unveiling its new wing and galleries dedicated to the arts of Islam, and new dragon-fly shaped building marking the museum's greatest development since the iconic glass pyramid constructed twenty years ago. (Remy de la Mauviniere/AP)

PARIS - In its boldest development in a generation, the Louvre Museum has a new wing dedicated to Islamic art, a nearly (euro) 100 million ($130 million) project that comes at a tense time between the West and the Muslim world.



Still, one of the Louvre's own consultants acknowledged that some Muslims could be "shocked" by three images of Muhammad with his face exposed in the new wing. Many Muslims believe the prophet should not be depicted at all - even in a flattering way - because it might encourage idolatry.

The galleries provide a needed showcase one of the West's most extensive Islamic art collections, some 18,000 artifacts that range from the 7th century to the 19th century.

But the wing does not dwell on the old: It is housed under a futuristic, undulating glass roof designed by architects Rudy Ricciotti and Mario Bellini that has garnered comparisons to a dragonfly wing, a flying carpet, even a wind-blown veil. It marks the Louvre's biggest change since I.M. Pei shook up the famed Paris museum with his iconic glass pyramid in 1989.


But could the new museum wing actually be good timing?


"The best weapons for fighting fanaticism that claims to be coming from Islam are found in Islam itself," Hollande said. "What more beautiful message than that demonstrated here by these works?"


Chirac, who vigorously opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, constantly pushed for the idea of a "dialogue of cultures" to break down misunderstandings between the West and the Muslim world.

The collection's organizer decided to include images of Muhammad to show the evolution of Islamic art. In one instance, he appears as a veiled character in a 16th century manuscript. And in a multimedia projection, Mohammad is shown in three separate images with his face exposed - something almost unheard-of today.

"I think Muslims will be shocked," said Charlotte Maury, a historical consultant for the Louvre. "That's why we put it on the side."


"We felt we had to use them, to illustrate (Islamic) history the way we see it," she said.

