Abu Dhabi, The Gaurdian, and Human Rights

Abu Dhabi, The Gaurdian, and Human Rights  

The Gist

The Guardian ran an article hailing Jean Nouvel’s Abu Dhabi Louvre museum as an architectural masterpiece. The author goes on to say that, although "nothing excuses the inhuman working conditions" that Human Rights Watch says it took to build the structure, nothing should deter us from celebrating "an eye-opening new museum."  Are you joking?! To say that the architectural merit of a building is enough to overlook the grave human rights abuses it took to build because, "fifty years from now, when the Louvre Abu Dhabi has established itself as one of the world’s great museums, how clearly will its dark beginnings be remembered?" is ridiculous. The same fawning over a country simply because they are starting to do things like us is nothing new (think the Shah's Iran, Saddam's Iraq, and Sadat's Egypt). In fact, the same was said when the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1977 (still the holder of the largest collection of Western art outside of the US and Europe). Yes, Mr. Nouvel's work is incredible and groundbreaking, but the Guardian should know better than to say that this "audacious new museum will be admired...as it should be" regardless of "the inhuman working conditions" it took to build....and now you know the gist.