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.
Saadiyat Island
Posted inArt
In a Performance, Walid Raad Playfully Probes His MoMA Survey
A note of hysteria begins to creep into Walid Raad’s voice as he concludes his hour-long monologue performance, “Scratching on things I could disavow: Walkthrough,” at the Museum of Modern Art.
Posted inArt
At Venice Biennale, Artists Stage a Pageant for Precarious Workers in Abu Dhabi
VENICE — When I arrived in Venice three weeks ago, I immediately headed to the tip of the Donsoduro to S.a.L.E. docks, a contemporary art space run by artist and activist Marco Baravalle. As part of its Biennale programming, the G.U.L.F. was set to have the Precarious Workers Pageant that evening.
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 inArt
Hans Haacke on “Gift Horse,” Gulf Labor, and Artist Resale Royalties
Early last March, London’s Conservative mayor Boris Johnson unveiled Hans Haacke’s “Gift Horse,” the tenth commission installed on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth.
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.
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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
Artist Walid Raad Denied Entry into UAE, Becoming Third Gulf Labor Member Turned Away
Today, Hyperallergic spoke to artist Walid Raad, who informed us that three days ago he was denied entry to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as he tried to attend the Sharjah Art Foundation’s March Meetings.
Posted inNews
New Report Confirms Labor Abuses at NYU Abu Dhabi
An independent investigation into the construction of New York University’s (NYU) Abu Dhabi campus has found that despite the school’s best intentions and efforts, about one third of the workforce at the site — roughly 10,000 workers — was not covered by the school’s labor guidelines.
Posted inNews
As Professor Is Denied Entry, NYU Abu Dhabi Faces New Pressure to Evolve
ABU DHABI, UAE — This week the New York Times reported that New York University (NYU) professor Andrew Ross was denied permission to visit the United Arab Emirates after publishing numerous articles critical of the labor conditions in the region.
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 inNews
UN Investigates Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Parent Company for Labor Abuses
A United Nations body is investigating the alleged abuse of laborers on Saadiyat Island in the United Arab Emirates, site of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Louvre Abu Dhabi projects, among other museum and cultural developments.
