For what it describes as the “world’s first and only guided highway art gallery”, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has reproduced ten objects from their collection onto giant billboards scattered along 100km of the emirate's main highway, the Sheikh Zayed Road. Cars tuned into Abu Dhabi Media radio stations—Radio 1 (100.5 FM), Classic FM (91.6 FM) and Emarat FM (95.8 FM)—will then automatically hear a 30-second story about each artwork. “Drivers will have the opportunity to experience the museum’s artworks like never before,” says a statement from Louvre Abu Dhabi. “Each piece will come alive through the vehicles’ speakers.”
The project, which launches today (15 February) and will run for several weeks, is part of the United Arab Emirates's month of innovation. The supersized works from the collection include Vincent Van Gogh’s famous Self Portrait (1887), a 2,000-year-old coin, and a portrait by Leonardo da Vinci. And no, it’s not the Salvator Mundi.