The artist Walid Raad was denied entry to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 11 May. Raad – a member of Gulf Labor, which campaigns for the rights of migrant workers in the region – was turned back at Dubai airport on his way to the Sharjah Art Foundation’s March Meeting. In a statement Raad said he hopes the Guggenheim as well as Agence France-Muséums (the French government agency charged with the Louvre Abu Dhabi project) and British Museum (advisers to the Zayed National Museum) among others “will work to reverse these bans”. More than 40 international artists, including Mark Bradford and Damián Ortega, with works in Sharjah Biennial 12 (until 5 June) have expressed their support for the banned artists. A Guggenheim spokeswoman says that it has made enquiries in the UAE and been in touch with Raad, who has work in the museum’s collection.
