Going the Last Mile for the Parthenon Sculptures

Negotiations for Parthenon Sculptures See Progress, But Key Hurdles Remain

According to an nonfiction conscionable published successful the starring Greek paper Kathimerini, titled the “Last Mile for the Marbles “by K. P. Papadiochou and Sakis Ioannidis, the Greek Government and the British Museum person made important headway successful discussions regarding the Parthenon Sculptures, with 1 root adjacent to the negotiations indicating that 80% of the issues person been agreed upon. However, this unnamed idiosyncratic besides cautioned that the remaining 20% is proving difficult, and further progress, adjacent by tiny increments, volition beryllium challenging.

These revelations travel months of speculation arsenic to whether a last statement whitethorn beryllium imminent oregon negotiations person travel to an impasse.

According to the report, for the Parthenon Sculptures to beryllium returned to the Acropolis Museum, perchance nether a look that is disguised arsenic a “loan” but which has a imperishable character, 3 superior obstacles, oregon “thorns,” request to beryllium addressed:

Scope of Return

A cardinal constituent of contention is the fig of items to beryllium returned from the British Museum. Athens aims to repatriate sculptural items that are indispensable for completing the unity of the Parthenon Sculptures. While artefacts not straight applicable to this unity, specified arsenic the Caryatid from the Erechtheion, mightiness stay successful the British Museum, Athens is pushing for the instrumentality of arsenic galore sculptures arsenic imaginable from this secondary category. The Greek authorities would similar to support the database of imaginable returns “open,” ensuring the statement does not permanently preclude the aboriginal instrumentality of antiquities not included successful the archetypal instrumentality phase.

Reuniting the Sculptures (Illustration credit: The Atlantic/ Dimitris Kapantais / SOOC / Getty; In Pictures Ltd. / Corbis / Getty)

Timing of Implementation

There is simply a quality successful preferred timelines for a imaginable agreement. The British broadside reportedly wants to ‘lock in’ an speech wherever important Greek exhibits would beryllium hosted by the British Museum successful multi-year periodic exhibitions arsenic compensation for the Sculptures’ return, with these exhibitions being staged successful owed course. Conversely, Athens desires the contiguous implementation of immoderate agreed speech to reunify the sculptures and reconstruct the Parthenon monument’s unity, fixed the already protracted negotiations .

Legal Framework

Disagreement persists connected the ineligible look for the sculptures’ return, ensuring neither broadside violates its cardinal “red lines”. The British Museum is reportedly insistent connected wording that indirectly refers to a “loan,” which would connection extortion against imaginable ineligible claims.  It is understood that Athens volition not judge an statement that implies a transportation of the (disputed) ownership of the Parthenon Sculptures.

Nicholas Cullinan (image credit: Times of London)

Despite these challenges, British Museum Director Nicholas Cullinan precocious stated successful the Times that “the plans are taking shape,” suggesting ongoing efforts, though the way to a last solution whitethorn beryllium longer than his remark mightiness imply.

The British Museum’s planned large renovation of its Western Range, which includes the Duveen Gallery wherever the Sculptures are presently housed, is seen by galore arsenic an opportune infinitesimal for an agreement.

The Parthenon Project, an inaugural established by the Greek-American philanthropist, John Lefas, advocating for the Sculptures’ reunification done a mutually beneficial (“win-win”) agreement, views the museum’s renovation arsenic intrinsically linked to a redefinition of its identity.

From left: The laminitis and financier of the Parthenon Project, John Lefas, the erstwhile British civilization curate Lord Ed Vaizey, shadiness civilization curate Thangam Debbonaire, and run unit members Melina Antoniadis and John Watts during their sojourn to the Acropolis Hill successful precocious September 2024 (image credit: Kathimerini)

Lord Ed Vaizey, a erstwhile British Minister of Culture and co-Chair of the Parthenon Project, remarked:

“The British Museum is trying to redefine its relation and power successful the planetary taste situation and present is the clip for Great Britain and Greece to resoluteness this centuries-old dispute”.

He besides referred to an upcoming seminar being organised by the Parthenon Project successful London connected June 11 nether the rubric The Rethinking a United Kingdom-Greece taste concern wrong the British Museum’s “reimagination”: What adjacent for the Parthenon Sculptures?

Lord Vaizey (image credit: The Art Newspaper)

The sheet volition diagnostic Lord Vaizey; Baroness Debbonaire, Former Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Co-Chair of the Parthenon Project; Lord Frost, Former Cabinet Minister and Chief Negotiator for exiting the European Union; Sir Stephen Fry, the well-known actor, broadcaster and writer and staunch advocator for return; Mrs. Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, Founder of Endeavor Greece and Director of Mare Studio, and Lord Parkinson, the Shadow Minister and Former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State astatine the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

A akin presumption was held successful Athens successful precocious 2024 and attracted sizeable attraction for its forthright and applicable treatment of the assorted ethical and ineligible issues successful play.

The Parthenon Project meets successful Athens, September 2024

According to the organisers, the British Museum stands astatine a pivotal infinitesimal arsenic it reimagines its individuality and its power connected the planetary taste landscape. Plans for the redesign of the Western Range volition beryllium unveiled successful 2026, and discussions connected the relation of museums, planetary partnerships, and backing are helping to signifier the museum’s aboriginal direction. This momentum raises questions connected the aboriginal of the Parthenon Sculptures, and whether the depository volition prehend the accidental of a taste concern betwixt the UK and Greece.

The Parthenon Project’s “win-win” model includes proposals specified arsenic creating a non-profit Anglo-Hellenic organisation to enactment arsenic a liaison and unafraid sponsorship for the Duveen Gallery’s renovation and the redevelopment of the Greek National Archaeological Museum. They person besides suggested renaming the Duveen Gallery the “Prince Philip Hellenic Gallery”. These ideas are considered valid, assuming the underlying museological attack to the postulation is maintained.

Imaging the British Museum (image credit: Lina Ghotmeh Architecture)

The last architectural plans for the renovated halls, designed by French-Lebanese designer Lina Ghotmeh, are expected to beryllium released adjacent year. A important interest for Athens is the aboriginal museological attack to beryllium adopted if nary statement is reached, namely, whether the British Museum’s postulation volition proceed to beryllium displayed based connected cultures successful circumstantial halls oregon if it volition follow a chronological-based signifier of accumulation and display.

It is hoped that by past an enlightened taste concern volition person been finalised and implemented for the agelong overdue reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures successful their due discourse wrong proximity of the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis successful Athens.

George Vardas is the Arts and Culture Editor and co-Vice President of the Australian Parthenon Association and co-founder of the Acropolis Research Group, organisations which run for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures and which enactment the endeavours of the Parthenon Project.