The painting’s voyage, from the record-breaking Christie’s auction to the mysterious postponing of its unveiling, reflects deep regional ideological and geopolitical rifts — but the debate has hardly played out in the Arabic-language media.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Posted inOpinion
Has the Salvator Mundi Really Gone Missing? Unpacking the Latest Conspiracy Theory
Keeping track of the world’s most expensive painting has become more difficult since it transferred into Saudi hands. One conspiracist claims the painting is involved in a money laundering plot tie Trump-Russia scandal.
Posted inArt
Walid Raad’s Playful and Dead-Serious Experiments with History
Raad’s latest exhibition in Beirut explores history, archives, and reality with his signature inscrutability and dry humor.
Posted inNews
Louvre Abu Dhabi Claims They Own Leonardo’s “Salvator Mundi” [UPDATE 2]
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is now claiming it owns the world’s most expensive artwork.
Posted inIn Brief
Leonardo’s “Salvator Mundi” Is Headed to the Louvre Abu Dhabi [UPDATED]
The newly opened institution announced on Twitter that the most expensive artwork ever sold will soon go on view there.
Posted inArt
Trouble on the Island of Happiness and Human Rights Concerns for the Louvre Abu Dhabi
When starchitect Jean Nouvel said he “saw no problem” with the way migrant laborers were treated during the construction of Saadiyat Island, you have to wonder if he even looked.
Posted inNews
Guggenheim and British Museum Refuse to Work with Human Rights Groups on Abu Dhabi Projects
Many reports have emerged of harsh labor conditions during the construction of museums on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, but the cultural institutions involved are showing no interest in discussing these violations with leading human rights groups.
Posted inArt
Gulf Labor Hips Venice Biennale Visitors to UAE Labor Abuses
VENICE — On Wednesday the Gulf Labor Coalition held the first in a series of four panels it is organizing as part of the 2015 Venice Biennale.
Posted inIn Brief
French Museum Authority Confirms Worker Death at Louvre Abu Dhabi Site
The Agence France-Muséums has confirmed reports, brought to light recently by the activist and artist group Gulf Labor, that a 28-year-old Pakistani worker died on June 8 at the construction site of the new Louvre Abu Dhabi museum.
Posted inNews
60 Art World Luminaries Pressure UAE on “Chilling Precedent” Set by Recent Bans
The directors of some of the world’s most important art institutions, including the Tate and MoMA, have written a letter to UAE-affiliated art organizations asserting that “artists and academics should be allowed free passage to conduct research and work that is done in a peaceful and productive manner.”
Posted inNews
Human Rights Watch Releases Damning Report on Labor Conditions in Abu Dhabi [UPDATED]
Today Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its third report on violations of the rights of migrant workers on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, where the Guggenheim and Louvre museums are planning outposts and New York University is planning a campus.
Posted inArt
A Report on the Cultural Boycott of Israel
Editor’s note: For roughly three years, Hyperallergic has been covering the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and how it manifests in the art world, including recently during the 31st São Paulo Biennial. The following report outlines recent developments in regards to BDS and the positions of various art-related entities.