Today's Edition
MUDHI ALOBTHANI (ABU DHABI)
Step inside the newest exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Children’s Museum, and it becomes immediately clear that board games have never been merely about passing the time.
Opened to the public from Saturday, “A Board Game Adventure” takes families on a captivating journey across thousands of years of human history, revealing how rolling dice, moving counters, and drafting strategies have bound societies together across time and geography.
Running until April 2027 with the support of lead partner Mubadala Foundation, the interactive exhibition is tailored for children aged four to 12.
Rather than observing artifacts passively behind static glass, young visitors actively participate in a narrative that spans ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Edo-period Japan. Tracing how games travelled along trade routes, the exhibition demonstrates how simple past-times evolved into a shared global language.
Curated by Amin Kharshash, Head of Interpretation and Creative Content, and Orlan Lefevre, Interpretation and Creative Content Officer, the showcase brings together 24 carefully selected artworks and artifacts from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s own collection alongside prestigious loans.
These include historic objects from the Louvre Museum in Paris, Le Musée National des Arts Asiatiques – Guimet, Le Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and Al Sabah Collection at Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah in Kuwait.
“The creative vision of the exhibition is aligned with the wider vision and narrative of Louvre Abu Dhabi, which is strongly based on a global perspective and a universal approach to history,” said Kharshash.
“Play is one of the most shared human experiences, and through this exhibition we are inviting visitors to discover emblematic board games and how they travelled, evolved and adapted to new contexts as they were exchanged between different civilisations throughout the world.”
To capture the imagination of today’s media-savvy youth, the exhibition transforms the museum environment into an immersive quest. Upon entering, every child creates a personalised player profile and receives a connected wristband to complete challenges, unlock achievements and tailor their gallery journey.
Outdoor games and hands-on workshops extend the experience beyond the gallery walls, guided visually by a friendly character known as The Giant.
“Engagement is very important, especially for our younger visitors,” Kharshash explained. “Through a careful selection of meaningful and iconic artworks, we create experiences based on personalisation and interaction.
"All the challenges and visual games invite visitors to look closely at the artworks, helping them recognise the iconography, style and shapes of the objects while enriching their visual literacy.”
Displays featuring early iterations of chess, carrom and mancala reveal the striking inter-connectedness of global cultures. For co-curator Lefevre, examining these historic evolutionary paths yielded profound insights into human culture.
“The thing that surprised us the most is how board games are shared heritage,” Lefevre said.
“Some of the games we have on display are actually played everywhere. For example, mancala has many different names. In the Philippines it is called Sunka, while in Oman it is known as Hawalis. It was fascinating to see that everyone knew the game, but with different names and different specificities in the rules.”
Despite external differences in game pieces or local rules, the core-design mechanics reflect a universal human instinct. “Some board games and objects can look very different, but the gameplay at its core remains the same,” Lefevre noted.
“Whether it is a race game, a capturing game or a strategy game, at the end of the day we get to have fun, learn skills and learn about the people we play with.”
In an age dominated by handheld digital entertainment, the exhibition offers a timely counterweight. “In such a digital connected world, this exhibition invites families and children to spend time with their loved ones around a board,” Lefevre added. “Nothing can replace a shared moment around a board game, and we hope visitors leave inspired to go home and play together.”
The initiative aligns closely with the UAE’s Year of Family, underscoring Louvre Abu Dhabi’s broader ambition to operate as an accessible cultural home for all generations. The exhibition “offers children and families a fresh way to discover artworks and artefacts related to board games through observation, exploration and play,” said Ugo Bertoni, Director of External Affairs, Communication and Cultural Engagement at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
“By sparking curiosity and encouraging participation, it transforms a museum visit into a rich and interactive learning experience. These games have crossed centuries and geographical borders, carrying with them ideas, skills and traditions.”
On behalf of sponsors Mubadala Foundation, the Vice Chair Alia Al Hosani said they “place great importance on supporting initiatives that provide inspiring educational and cultural experiences for children and families.”
Through the partnership, she hoped that the long-running feature at Louvre will “support an exhibition that enables children and families to learn together through play and exploration in an environment that promotes cultural exchange.”
