.A British Museum spokeswoman confirmed that “there was some water ingress in one of the [Greek] galleries” in July but said she could not identify the specific gallery. She also could not say when the displays might reopen, The Art Newspaper that first published about the leak reported..
Seven galleries of Greek art, including the museum’s display of Parthenon sculptures, were expected to reopen to the public at the end of July following a seven-month closure, museum sources said. .
But this was pushed back after heavy rainfall on 25 July caused flooding in central London and led to water leaking into one of the museum’s Greek galleries, the sources added.s say.
The Art Newspaper also published photos showing signs of flooding in the museum back in January, as well as a picture taken on Wednesday, showing a fan placed in front of a display of Parthenon sculptures, possibly to help dry the venue.
the art newspaper
It isn’t the first time that water in the galleries has been an issue. In 2018, images of water dripping into the gallery housing the frieze and sculptures from the Parthenon were widely spread in the media.
In a statement to the Art Newspaper, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said:
“This is not the first time that photographs have been published revealing that the conditions for exhibiting the Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum are not only inappropriate, but also dangerous. In September 2019, when similar photos were published, we had stressed that these images fully strengthen the legal, ongoing and non-negotiable request from Greece for the reunification of the sculptures. The Parthenon Marbles, one of the greatest monuments of Western civilisation, must return to their homeland.” (full article: TheArtNewspaper;also: amna, kathimerini, ethnos etc).
In September 2019, Greek visitors to the British Museum were shocked to see mold and humidity and even spiderwebs in the hall hosting the Parthenon Marbles. The travelers from Crete took pictures of the appalling conditions and sent “the evidence” to local media.
One might think that such a law abiding, democratic, and unconditional friend of Greece would be the first to be most anxious to return these stolen artifacts.
We now know the the premise of safe keeping is certainly nonsense.
Thank goodness the challenged boar who’s hairdresser has a wonderful sense of humor certainly won’t win another term, maybe his sucessor will understand the logic of returning these to their rightful owners and place they were stolen from.
As an ex-pat Brit now living in Greece I suspect that as far as the general population of Britain is concerned you are right. I’m sure that an overwhelming majority of the law-abiding democratic British friends of Greece would think it quite right that the marbles are returned to Greece – regardless of how they were acquired.
The long-standing problem that the British Museum has is that voluntarily returning the marbles to Greece would be the thin end of a very big wedge. Other countries would begin arguing for the return of artefacts removed from their country, whether done so legally or not. It’s this fear of seeing the bulk of the museum’s collection disappear out the door that is at the root of their continual refusal to send the marbles back. One can argue the rights and wrongs of that approach, but that is (and always has been) the main sticking point for the museum.
One way around that impasse might be for Greece to acknowledge that the British Museum acquired the marbles legally, in return for a permanent loan of the marbles to the Acropolis Museum. That would not sit well with Greek sentiment of course but it would bring the marbles back to Greece and reduce the chance of there being a flood of demands from other countries for the return of their artefacts from the British Museum. Both sides would get the main thing they wanted and the details of who owns what could be allowed to fade with time. The great Chinese military strategist once said: ‘build a golden bridge for your enemy to retreat across’.
The second problem that Greece also faces at this time is Brexit. For more than five years the British people have been sold a lie that EU membership has been bad for the UK. A lie that the UK would somehow be much better off outside the EU.
That’s any easy lie to sell to the British because we’ve all been brought up to believe that Britain is somehow better than everyone else. After all, we once ruled most of the world. That we raped the natural resources of countries we rules and destroyed ancient cultures in the name of civilisation is conveniently swept under the carpet. Being fortunate to find ourselves on the winning side in two world wars has only served to increase the belief in the British that Britain is better.
The hard-line Brexiteers in the UK, and the Brexit-leaning press in the UK, would spin a return of the marbles as ‘Britain giving in to the EU’ and they can never allow that to happen.
A US civil war general (Nathan Bedford Forrest) was fond of telling his men to ‘trust in the Lord, but keep your powder dry’. Greece needs to keep her powder dry at this time. Now is not the time to be agitating for the return of the marbles, it’s politically impossible in the UK just now. Sun Tzu also said; let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt….
Don,t you believe it. If there is one thing I,ve learnt from my 66 years on this earth it is that British people are stupid enough to vote for anything if the media tell them too.
If you believe in democracy you have to believe in brexit ……….the EU is NOT democratic!!!! The only stupid ones here are the ones who cannot stop bleating on about brexit like spoiled children who have lost their toy! You are not in the uk so nothing to do with you anymore anyway …………..get over it!!!!
Democracy in motion. Referendums still work in Britain, unlike Greece.
Democracy in the EU? Eh….Not so much.
UK was wise to avoid a common currency and leave an old foe that runs a Europe that it tried to destroy twice.
If its leading nation was not such a trade cheat, it would run an imbalance!
Europe depends on this headmaster’s economy, and they also sell arms against Europe’s very front line to boot.
Defeat to avoid confrontation or consequences seems to be all the rave, look how long to reach an exit deal with the snakes. There is no honor under paliative care for the disease of fear. UK did well, it was large and strong enough to resist the evil empire dominating Europe. Voting to do so is called democracy.