Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi

So in the beginning of this article it says that the museum is suppose to be costing $800 million to build. There is a prototype or maquette picture in the article that shows the monstrosity that will be the new Guggenheim museum. Apparently, artists are boycotting the building and refuse to show in the museum because conditions for the workers and laborers are so poor. The biggest problem with this is that they have nothing to put in this new museum, they have few pieces that they are collecting, and for almost 150 artists to drop out, it isn't fair for a new museum to try and build upon. 

My biggest discrepancy is that they say these workers don't have a living wage, and aren't being treated fairly. Now I am not completely sure about this but I would venture to guess that most of the places being built or that have already been built have been built by exploited workers. They are building up Abu Dhabi  as a rich man's playground and I am sure are putting a lot of money into it, but I doubt they give a damn about the workers. Lets not forget the United Arab Emirates is the Middle East. Am I the only person who does not expect the workers over there to be receiving 'normal' working conditions? Grant it they are not getting paid all of their wages, which I think is very unfair, but they also are saying that their working conditions are too hazardous, again this is the Middle East...I feel like their normal working conditions if compared to working conditions in America might be our dangerous conditions. Their conditions over there must really be horrendous if they are actually complaining about it. Yet the article does not really state if the workers are the ones complaining, it seems to only be the artists who refuse to participate who are the people complaining. Maybe they are giving a voice to the people who cannot speak for fear of being fired. 

Yet again who knows how the rest of these places were built, let's not act like this is the first place being built at Abu Dhabi that has treated their workers poorly. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/arts/design/guggenheim-threatened-with-boycott-over-abu-dhabi-project.html?ref=design