The artist and activist group Gulf Labor will present a series of official talks at the Venice Biennale where they will discuss, among other things, working conditions at museums and biennials. But it seems that the coalition’s own terms of employment are up in the air, with the Biennale still to agree their budget, according to Andrew Ross, a professor at New York University and a member of Gulf Labor. “We do have a contract but we don’t have a budget yet,” Ross says. “This is speculation, but the more prestigious the event, the less money is available to artists. It’s a basic principle in the art world—you work for exposure.” The group, whose members work on a voluntary basis, is due to present four panel discussions between 29 July and 9 August. Topics include labour conditions on Saadiyat Island; migrant workers and the “Gulf dream”; a new wave of art activism and how workforces are treated in museums and biennials.
