There’s only one way for the museum to survive the 21st century, and it starts with advancing toward restorative justice.
British Museum
British Museum Director Resigns Amid Theft Scandal
The reported thefts by one of the museum’s own employees have also fueled new calls for the repatriation of the Benin Bronzes and Parthenon marbles.
Museum Settles With Translator Whose Work Was Used Without Permission
Yilin Wang’s translations of Chinese poems were initially included in a British Museum show without her approval and without compensation.
Open Letter Calls On British Museum to Drop BP Name
A missive signed by 80 artists and activists including Nan Goldin draws parallels between the oil giant and the Sackler family, whose name has been removed from institutions worldwide.
Translator Calls Out British Museum’s “Erasure” of Her Work
Yilin Wang, whose translations of Chinese poems were used without permission, claims the museum mishandled the issue and has not properly compensated her.
Translator Says British Museum Used Her Work Without Permission
The London institution is taking down Yilin Wang’s translations of Qiu Jin’s poems after Wang called out the museum in a Twitter thread.
Did the British Museum Cut Ties With Its Oil Sponsor?
News that the museum has not renewed contracts with oil giant British Petroleum is being hailed by climate advocates as a “massive victory.”
British Museum Workers Announce One-Week Strike
The action could disrupt public access to the museum as workers campaign for higher wages and better labor conditions.
British Museum Pledges “Net-Zero Carbon” Despite Big Oil Funding
It’s unclear whether the London institution will renew its contract with the oil and gas giant British Petroleum when it expires in 2023.
Activists Crash British Museum Opening to Protest Egypt’s Political Prisoners
The anti-fuel group Culture Unstained criticized the museum’s connections to British Petroleum and its silence on the imprisonment of Egyptian political critic Alaa Abd El-Fattah.
UK’s New PM Says No to Returning the Parthenon Marbles to Greece
But Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who says the UK is “cornered,” plans to insist on the marbles’ return during a visit this year.
New UK Law Allows Museums to Return Objects For “Moral” Reasons
The law will apply only in “rare cases,” one expert says, but nevertheless signals a shift from past legal restrictions.