The Biggest Guggenheim Ever
This two-paragraph article from the AP (via the Guardian) pretty much blew my mind, even when I consider the ridiculous decadence on display in cities like Doha and Dubai. The United Arab Emirates is planning at a $25.5 billion “arts hub" for an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Google the island, Saadiyat, and you get this Web site. Don't click "skip intro" unless you want to miss an ad that will remind anyone who's seen "Children of Men" of the ersatz ad for Quietus, the Big Sleep pill.
The “Master Plan" for the island doesn’t explain much of the plan at all, other than that it will be filled end-to-end with large and luxurious buildings. This tricked-out island is supposed to be completed in just 12 years. But here's what I want to know: Whose art will they include in what “will effectively be the world's largest Guggenheim?"