ATHENS: Greece’s culture minister sharply criticized the British Museum after it hosted an exclusive fundraising gala inside the gallery housing the Parthenon Marbles, calling the event a “provocative display of indifference” toward the integrity of the ancient sculptures, according to Arab News.
The black-tie affair, billed as London’s answer to the Met Gala, drew a glittering guest list — including Mick Jagger, Naomi Campbell, Janet Jackson, Kristin Scott Thomas, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Around 800 guests paid £2,000 ($2,685) each for the Saturday night event, a fraction of the Met Gala’s $75,000 ticket price.
“The safety, integrity, and ethics surrounding these monuments should be the British Museum’s foremost concern,” said Culture Minister Lina Mendoni in a statement. “Once again, the museum demonstrates provocative indifference.”
Mendoni condemned the use of cultural heritage as a backdrop for luxury entertainment, saying such events “offend cultural assets and endanger the exhibits themselves.”
The British Museum, which holds one of the world’s largest permanent collections, defended the gala as a celebration of London’s role as a global cultural capital and said it plans to make it an annual fixture.
The controversy reignites Greece’s longstanding demand for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, which Athens argues were illegally removed in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin, Britain’s ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. The UK insists they were legally acquired, leaving the decision in the museum’s hands.
Under Chairman George Osborne, the museum has been in talks with Greek officials over a possible loan arrangement, allowing the sculptures to be displayed in Athens in exchange for Greek antiquities.
