ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Documenta Directors Protest UAE Travel Bans on Gulf Labor Coalition Members

institutional · 2026-04-20

Six former artistic directors of Documenta, along with the director of the forthcoming Documenta 14, have addressed a letter to Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, who leads Abu Dhabi's Tourism and Culture Authority. In their message, they expressed disapproval over the travel bans affecting three members of the Gulf Labor Coalition—Andrew Ross, Ashok Sukumaran, and Walid Raad—who were denied entry into the UAE back in May 2015. The signers, including Rudi Fuchs, Catherine David, and Okwui Enwezor, suggested these restrictions were tied to the coalition's fight for improved labor rights on Saadiyat Island. They called for these bans to be lifted, highlighting the vital role of art, culture, and free movement. This letter is the third attempt to address the issue, following two prior requests after Raad and Sukumaran missed the Sharjah Art Foundation's March Meeting.

Key facts

  • Six former Documenta artistic directors and the Documenta 14 director sent a letter protesting UAE travel bans
  • Andrew Ross, Ashok Sukumaran, and Walid Raad were denied entry to the UAE in May 2015
  • The bans are believed to be related to their involvement with the Gulf Labor Coalition
  • The coalition seeks to improve labor conditions on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island
  • The letter was addressed to Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chair of Abu Dhabi's Tourism and Culture Authority
  • This was the third attempt to lift the bans after previous appeals from Sharjah Biennial artists and sixty curators/critics
  • Raad and Sukumaran were previously prevented from attending the Sharjah Art Foundation's March Meeting
  • The signatories called for lifting bans 'in the name of art and culture, and freedom of passage'

Entities

Artists

  • Rudi Fuchs
  • Catherine David
  • Okwui Enwezor
  • Roger M. Buergel
  • Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev
  • Adam Szymczyk
  • Andrew Ross
  • Ashok Sukumaran
  • Walid Raad

Institutions

  • Documenta
  • Gulf Labor Coalition
  • Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority
  • Sharjah Art Foundation
  • Sharjah Biennial

Locations

  • Abu Dhabi
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Saadiyat Island
  • Sharjah

Sources