The ARTE Museums are a franchise of modern, immersive art places. The exhibition has its origin in South Korea, where there are several outlets of it. However, ARTE Museums are more and more expanding globally as well. One of their abroad outlets is the ARTE Museum Dubai, which I visited in October 2024. Here is the review of my visit. Please note that the exhibitions change regularly, so the arts museum might look different during your visit.
ARTE Museum Dubai – Location & Admission
ARTE Museum Dubai is located on the 2nd floor of Dubai Mall, close to the Galeries Lafayette outlet in the giant shopping mall. The mall can be rather easily reached by Dubai Metro, even though the walk from the metro station into the mall is rather lengthy and may be bothering. If you visit the Dubai Mall by car, Cinema Parking is the parking section closest to the attraction.
The museum is opening daily from 10:00 to 23:00. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, it is even closing at midnight. Last admission is one hour in advance. Especially if you go for all services, I would choose a visiting slot later than two hours before closing. On-site adult admission is 149 AED, roughly 38 EUR. Online admission (which can typically also be bought rather short-term before your visit) is 129 AED. If you want to visit the ARTE Tea Bar (see below) as well, there is a supplement of 20 AED.
ARTE Museum Dubai – The Visit
ARTE Museum Dubai is a typical immersive arts museum. You walk from one room to the next, each of them featuring a very different atmosphere. That one is typically created by visual effects as well as sounds. Before you enter the room, there is typically an illuminated sign, which introduce you to the following exhibit Languages used are Arabic and English. The rooms also differ by size significantly. While my visit started with the waves of the Ocean in a rather small space, one of the next rooms is the large Flower Rose, which even has small “buildings” within the major arts space. Even though my pictures might not always reflect that, the atmosphere is fascinating. The room also are rather unique, which leads to an interesting visit.
ARTE Museum Dubai – Even Featuring Some Interaction
Some of the exhibits in ARTE Museum Dubai are even very interactive. At the Coral Reef, for example. you can select from different kinds of maritime life, paint the template in different colors and then scan them. Once your scan is accepted,, “your” animal is swimming in the artificial coral reef as well. I felt this is very pleasing and somehow relaxing- imagine who did a stingray in Indian national colors? A similar process is used at Canvas Desert, where the animal you had colored before appears in several picture frames under different settings and viewpoints.
The most impressing part of ARTE Museum Dubai, however, is undoubtedly the Garden. It majorly feature artwork by various classic artists. The total rotation time of that show only is 30 minutes. I watched some of it from the tea bar (see below). Soon thereafter, you pass some ads for other ARTE Museum places and then finish your visit, which took in my case some 90 minutes.
ARTE Museum Dubai – Services
The ARTE Tea Bar is located on a balcony above the Garden section of the museum. If you have booked the admission to the bar, there is one complimentary drink included. They are neither very fancy, nor very large, but it is nonetheless a nice experience. First of all, you can enjoy the view over the largest exhibit. Additionally, there is some immersive interaction with your glass: if you put it on the table, flowers are projected around it, which leads to a quite nice effect.
At the end of your visit, you of course also pass a gift store. There are some neat and nice souvenirs in there as well as quite a bunch of arts literature. Free WiFi is available during your visit as well. The staff was overall very friendly and helpful during my visit.
ARTE Museum Dubai – My View
ARTE Museum Dubai is a bit on the pricey side, but I really liked it. Some of the artworks are really impressing and especially the “paint and scan” exhibits even turn this place to an surprisingly attractive family visit. The location in the Dubai Mall is very favorable as well of course. The museum might not be worth adding the Dubai Mall to your itinerary – but I am sure you are there for shopping anyway. Thus, in my point of view, go for it!
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