L'observatoire Data & Créativité by iligo

Highway Gallery

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art and civilization museum, located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The museum is part of a thirty-year agreement between the city of Abu Dhabi and the French government.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi was established on 8 November 2017 as part of a thirty-year agreement between the city of Abu Dhabi and the French government. However Museum culture is not part of UAE culture. The museum became a landmark for tourists to visit, not a place for residents to continuously return for inspiration or entertainment.
Therefore, the museum wanted to convince local audiences/non-museum-goers that art and museums are far from outdated and boring.
An average of 12,000 people commute every day between Dubai and Abu Dhab by taking the highway, listening to their radios but without much to look at. It’s a perfect opportunity for outdoor disruption.

The museum decided to merge billboards with radio into a new “museum-visiting” experience.
The museum’s masterpieces were reproduced in giant frames and placed along the highway leading from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. Next, each artwork was fitted with a solar-powered FM transmitter that synchronized the frequencies of the UAE’s top three radio stations’ with the museum audio guide.
When approaching each artwork’s’ radio perimeter, drivers and passengers experienced the masterpieces like never before: right outside their windows, but also through an engaging story behind each piece, instantly broadcast through their car speakers.
Intercity buses, taxis, and car rentals also supported the project.

For each artwork, a customized FM transmitter powered by solar panels was installed. Then in partnership with the capital’s municipality, the UAE’s top three radio stations (ClassicFM 91.6 FM, Radio One 100.5 FM, and Emarat FM 95.8 FM) the museum audioguide was triggered into their frequencies.
The jammer synchronized and intercepted the car radios, triggering the audio guide. The bumper powered the waves to a customized 800 m radius.
When drivers approached a billboard, the artwork’s FM device synchronized and intercepted their car radios, triggering the Louvre Abu Dhabi audio guide. Instantly, a story behind the piece would broadcast through their speakers.