Greece’s culture minister said the British Museum had shown “zero respect” by hosting its London Fashion Week show in front of the Elgin Marbles.
Models posed in front of ancient artifacts on Saturday during the unveiling of designer Erdem Moralioglu’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection at the London-based museum’s Davin Gallery.
The controversial fashion show, which was also attended by actress Lily James and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, infuriated Greek Culture Minister Linda Mendoni.
Dr Mendoni, who has been campaigning for the relics to be returned to Athens, expressed his anger late Saturday, accusing the museum’s director of “trivializing” and “insulting” the marble’s value.
These sculptures were removed from the Parthenon on the Greek Acropolis by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, Earl of Elgin, in the early 19th century.
The fashion show marks the latest controversy in the dispute between the two countries. greek and british government over- Ownership of Elgin Marbles.
Moralioglu was on hand to present his eponymous brand Erdem’s fall/winter 2024 collection, which was inspired by Greek singer Maria Callas and her interpretation of the 1953 opera Medea. We chose the impressive setting of the Athens Parthenon Sculpture Showroom at the British Museum.
But Dr Mendoni said the exhibition proved the museum had “zero respect” for the artefacts and insisted they should be returned to Greece.
“By holding a fashion show in the hall where the Parthenon sculptures are displayed, the British Museum proves once again that it has no respect for Pheidia’s masterpiece,” she said in a statement. Stated.
“The directors of the British Museum are trivializing and insulting not only the monument but also the universal values it conveys.”
Dr. Mendoni added: “The conditions for displaying and storing sculptures at Davin Gallery are constantly deteriorating.” It’s time for this stolen and misused sculptural masterpiece to shine in the light of the attic. ”
Sources close to the museum reportedly hit back by pointing out to the Telegraph how Dior had conducted a photo shoot on the Acropolis in 2021.
Dr. Mendoni is said to have been involved in authorizing filming to accompany the show at the Panathenaic Stadium.
According to the newspaper, Dior paid around 700,000 euros in permission fees and around 200,000 euros in lost profits for closing the site early.
However, the Minister of Culture said that “no fashion show was held” at the Acropolis as the request to hold a fashion show was rejected by the ministry. She said the show would be held at the Panathenaic Stadium after “negotiations”.
She also said the Acropolis shoot featured a collection “inspired by ancient Greece” in collaboration with local artists.
She claimed that the Elgin marble used in Erdem’s show was “merely decorative” and that “the collection has no dialectical connection to Greek antiquity.”
“Because the Parthenon sculptures were only used as a backdrop, their universal value, which the British Museum claims is of great concern, was completely minimized,” Dr Mendoni added.
MailOnline has contacted the British Museum for comment.
Athens claims the marble that is the centerpiece for visitors to London’s British Museum was stolen, but Britain insists it was obtained legally.
The British Museum Act 1963 prohibits the removal of objects from the institution’s collections.
But museum officials, who are under pressure to repatriate other foreign antiquities, have not ruled out a loan deal.
In late November, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed “displeasure” over British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s last-minute cancellation of bilateral talks that were scheduled to discuss the long-standing dispute over the Parthenon marble. Diplomatic spat raised eyebrows when he announced .
At issue in London were the Greek leader’s comments about ownership of the 2,500-year-old marble in a BBC interview the day before the conference.
Mr Sunak was said to have been enraged by Mr Mitsotakis’ comment that placing part of the marble in London and the rest in Athens would be like cutting the Mona Lisa in half.