Abu Dhabi’s The National covers Jeff Koons’s lecture and appearance sponsored by Guggenheim Abu Dhabi:

There is a commonality between the newness, the shine and the consumerism of the UAE and Koons’s work. Koons says that he likes the clarity and cleanliness of Abu Dhabi in general. “I am thrilled being here – it’s life-changing.”

During his brief sojourn, Koons and the other Guggenheim visiting artists went to the Saadiyat Island project, where the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be located. Koons says that the booming construction sites and the vast voids left untouched were artistically inspiring. “We went over some of the deserted islands also, and in each location there are ideas that come to mind, but now I just have to let this kind of resonate,” he says. “But I feel very challenged and it’s wonderful that there is a possibility to be able to have such a strong dialogue.”

Larger than Life (The National)