Wynn Al Marjan Island Reveals Artworks & Artefacts Worthy of a Museum

We live in a world of endless surfaces, where every experience is filtered, timed, and tagged. Moments of genuine wonder are rare—things that make your heart skip, that make you stop, look, and truly feel. But one audacious cultural experiment in Ras Al Khaimah is offering precisely that: an entire universe built around art, cleverly camouflaging as a resort—Wynn Al Marjan Island.  Opening its doors in 2027, the resort combines a certain cultural ambition with all the beloved pleasures of luxury: 22 dining venues, a spa, beach club, theater, sun-drenched pools, and a deep-water marina for superyachts. Yet, even amid these indulgences, your gaze is drawn again and again to the resort’s ‘Living Gallery.’  Todd-Avery Lenahan, the creative force behind the property, puts it plainly: “We built a resort around the art, not the other way around.” And the effect is staggering. A 66-million-year-old Triceratops skull towers over you as you cross the lobby. A 10-metre tapestry, with counterparts at the Louvre and The Met, sways gently in the breeze. Suites feature the intimate, lyrical portraits of Faïza Maghni.  Here, art is woven into the architecture, the interiors, the very bones of the resort. Your stay is inseparable from the story of art itself. And this is your guide to the pieces that will make your jaw drop—plus where to pause, linger, and let each work whisper its story. Half Triceratops Skull

Walking into Wynn, you’re immediately confronted with something older than language, older than civilization: a 66-million-year-old Triceratops skull. Nothing announces arrival like the quiet, existential drama of a creature that outlived the dinosaurs themselves.  17th-Century Wool-and-Silk Tapestry

A 10-metre tapestry reminiscent of works housed at the Louvre and The Met, combining craftsmanship and storytelling from an era when tapestries were both insulation and political statement. Its scale and intricacy collapse the line between museum and resort, letting history breathe in the corridors and lounges of Wynn. Caravan in the Desert by Gustave Guillaumet

A 19th-century Orientalist masterpiece depicting a camel caravan navigating the Algerian Sahara. French painter Guillaumet’s realism—heat, distance, survival—returns to the very region it depicts, giving the artwork a homecoming centuries in the making. Entering the Temple by Rudolf Ernst

Richly detailed North African and Ottoman scenes, capturing flowing robes, carved doors, and patterned tiles. In Wynn, these Orientalist visions are contextualized and returned to the land that inspired them—a dialogue across time and geography. Four 18th-Century Buccleuch Vases

Once owned by the Duke of Buccleuch, these vases from China have set auction records and now hold multi-million-dollar insurance. At Wynn, they rest quietly, their East–West journey adding a layer of historical grandeur to the Living Gallery. Victorian Cut-Glass Console and Mirror

Think of 19th-century cut-glass consoles and mirrors as the Instagram filters of their day—bending light, multiplying reflections, making everything a touch more magical. This particular set dazzles with precise geometric facets, turning a simple corner into a shimmering interplay of form, light, and history. Light Into Life by Marc Quinn

A newly commissioned sculpture from the British artist, known for exploring the intersection of mortality, science, and beauty. At Wynn, Quinn transforms his fascination with the body into a luminous, public-facing sculpture that seems to pulse with life itself, inviting contemplation and wonder. Guest-Room Commissions by Faïza Maghni

From Persian miniature inspiration to Arabic poetry motifs, Algerian artist Maghni’s veiled, elongated figures turn suites into intimate art encounters. Here, every brushstroke feels intentional, every piece a meditation on femininity and history, rather than mere decoration. Tulips by Jeff Koons

An 11-metre sculpture from American artist Jeff Koons’ iconic ‘Celebration’ series, gleaming like a giant balloon bouquet in candy-coloured stainless steel. Its scale and shine make it impossible to ignore—Koons’ playful monumentality meets the Gulf’s grand architecture, and every angle is social-media ready. Secret Garden Sculpture by Jaume Plensa

Known for monumental “dreaming” heads, Spain’s Plensa brings a meditative pause to Wynn’s public spaces. Each sculpture’s closed eyes and serene posture act as a counterpoint to the high-octane luxury around it, reminding guests that stillness can also be monumental.