Since 2015, we have been advising the museological team at Louvre Abu Dhabi on the conception and implementation of its digital interpretation strategy. For the first universal museum in the Arab world, we are developing a media guide, public apps and an app designed specifically for children. Since the museum opened in 2017, visitors have been able to intuitively explore the impressive museum and its exhibits, access in-depth texts and audio files on selected works, and learn more about the history of art and the museum’s unique architecture - in seven languages.

Using localisation and an interactive map, visitors can find their way around the museum’s numerous wings. The project places particular emphasis on inclusion: a special mode for people with visual impairments sets new standards for multimedia guides.

In 2023, the app was fundamentally reconceived and redesigned. It now fully follows the “Bring Your Own Device” principle and integrates new interpretation formats such as podcasts. In addition to its navigation function, the app uses AI to recognise artworks and provides further object information and audio files. Games and quizzes create additional low-threshold, interactive ways of engaging with the content and invite visitors to relate the works to their own lives - regardless of any prior knowledge of art history.

With the integration of the AI-based chatbot Ask Mona, the digital visitor experience was expanded even further. The multilingual assistant is integrated directly into the mobile LAD app and provides visitors with a dialogue-based and intuitive way of accessing information about the museum and its content. In addition, dynamic QR codes on site lead directly to the corresponding Ask Mona services, seamlessly connecting the physical museum space with digital interpretation.

Our development for Louvre Abu Dhabi is therefore one of the most comprehensive digital interpretation offerings in the museum sector and serves as an important reference for innovative museum experiences in the Middle East.