by A fashion show held in front of the Elgin Marbles at the British Museum showed “disrespect”, Greece’s culture minister said.
The catwalk show was held in Room 18, where the controversial sculptures are on display, amid ongoing talks between the British Museum and the Greek government over a possible deal to repatriate the 2,500-year-old Marbles, which adorned the Parthenon once.
Dr Lina Mendoni, who has long campaigned to return the artefacts to Athens, said: “By organizing a fashion show in the rooms where the Parthenon Statues are displayed, the British Museum proves, once again, that he has no regard for the masterpieces of Great Britain. Pedias (the sculptor who created the works of art).
“The directors of the British Museum trivialize and insult not only the monument but also the universal values it transmits.
“The display and storage conditions of the sculptures, at the Duveen Gallery, continue to deteriorate. It is time for the stolen and abused sculptural masterpieces to shine in the Attic light.”
However, sources close to the British Museum have revealed that in 2021 the fashion house Dior has been given permission to do a photoshoot at the Acropolis.
It was reported that Dr Mendoni was involved in the permits for the shooting of the Holy Rock of Athens, which was accompanied by a show at the Panathenaic Stadium.
Greek officials gave the green light to the first-ever shoot on the site in part because of the advertising opportunity for the country.
It was reported that Dior paid around €700,000 for the permits to shoot in archaeological sites and museums and up to €200,000 for lost earnings from the early closure of the Acropolis.
In response to questions about the Dior shoot, Dr Mendoni told The Telegraph that there was “no fashion show” at the Acropolis because the Ministry had refused a request to hold one. After “negotiations”, the show took place at the Panathenaic Stadium.
She added that the photo shoot at the Acropolis, of a collection “inspired by ancient Greece” and made in collaboration with Greek artists, took place with the landmark closed and the models were taken “without motion, just like statues”.
“The fashion show at the British Museum was held in the Duveen Gallery, in an enclosed space, and many guests attended. It should be noted that the sculptures at the British Museum have sometimes been damaged by overcrowding,” said Dr Mendoni.
“The Parthenon statues were just decoration, since, thematically, the collection had no dialectical connection with Greek antiquity. The Parthenon Statues were only used as a backdrop and thus their universal value was reduced, which the British Museum says it is so concerned about.”
The latest insult to the Marbles comes amid a legal stalemate between the chairman of the British Museum, George Osborne, who has been open about his desire to reach an agreement over the artworks, and the Greek government, with both sides unable to reach an agreement. make an agreement that will. without crossing their respective red lines.
The museum has been repeatedly asked to return the Elgin marbles, which the Greek government insists were stolen by Lord Elgin from the Parthenon in the early 19th century, a claim the museum denies.
The British Museum has long argued that it can use the disputed artefacts as a universal museum, along with others in its collection, to tell a more universal human history that places the ancient Greeks in a wider context.
The museum is also barred by law from giving away objects in its collection, but Mr Osborne and the Greek government have been in talks for months about how to negotiate this legal loophole so that the marbles could be exhibited in Athens.
Sources told the Telegraph that some sort of “hybrid” deal that fits within legal parameters could provide a way forward, and suggested that loans going from Greece to the UK could act as collateral.
The museum is a commercial center outside of opening hours, and often hosts events. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure the safety of the collection.
Erdem’s show was a tribute to Greek American soprano Maria Callas, and designer Erdem Moralioglu said he had her personal history in mind when he applied for the show to be in the same room as the marbles.
“I wanted to show in this space that reflected his Greekness,” he told Vogue, adding: “I was interested in the idea of someone starting somewhere and ending up somewhere else.”
A source close to the museum told the Telegraph that it is important for artists to “continue to respond to the living legacy that the Parthenon sculptures represent”.
The British Museum and Erdem have been contacted for comment.
