Last week, CNN featured a collection of photography illuminating the 'ghost'-like existence of migrant workers in the UAE. Photographer Philippe Chancel calls these cheap laborers “new slaves,” who underpin the Gulf’s hyper-development yet remain marginalized by society. His photographs illustrate the juxtaposition of workers in conspicuously bright colored clothing and their invisibility in an environment that ignores their plight - as individuals who sustain society and yet are simultaneously excluded from both its luxuries and its basic virtues.
WIth his lens, Chancel captures the Gulf’s theoretical 'underside', the part so visible yet so often excluded from the glossy magazine features and brochures. Read more about his experiences in the UAE and see pieces of his work here - Opens in new tab.