Labour abuse claims overshadow Guggenheim Abu Dhabi show - FT.com
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But the Guggenheim, whose main museum in New York has also been targeted by demonstrations relating to its Abu Dhabi branch, has been criticised for failing to address protests against its expansion into the Middle East.
Gulf Labor, an international artists’ pressure group that includes Lebanese artist Walid Raad, has called on Abu Dhabi’s government to pay labourers working on the futuristic museum – designed by renowned US architect Frank Gehry – a living wage and allow them to form workers’ councils.
The artists’ body has also called on the company developing the museum on Saadiyat Island to award a one-off fee of $2,000 to help workers pay off onerous recruitment fees.
Mr Armstrong, during a preview of the exhibit to the press on Sunday, refused to answer questions about labour conditions in the UAE.
Criticism of inadequate labour standards throughout the oil-rich Gulf region has overshadowed its grandiose cultural and sporting projects. Neighbouring Qatar has come under intense pressure for the conditions faced by the labourers constructing stadiums for its controversial hosting of the World Cup in 2022, while Dubai has also faced sustained criticism for more than a decade over the working conditions of labourers, who are often from south Asia.