Art activist group BP or not BP? yesterday staged a double intervention at the British Museum to protest BP’s sponsorship of Sunken cities, a new exhibition showcasing artifacts from two ancient, submerged Egyptian ports.
British Museum
Posted inNews
Internal Documents Show How BP Oiled the Wheels at UK Museums
After sharing a handful of emails detailing suspicious correspondence between British museums and their sponsor BP, the Art Not Oil Coalition has released the full set of documents it obtained, accompanied by a 40-page report describing the potentially unethical partnerships.
Posted inIn Brief
Documents Hint at BP’s Undue Influence on UK Museums It Sponsors
A number of major museums in the UK, including the British Museum and National Portrait Gallery, may undergo investigation over claims that oil giant BP had sway over their operations.
Posted inNews
Art Institutions Share Secrets to Kick Off #MuseumWeek
Yesterday marked the beginning of Museum Week, an annual social media campaign that gives museums around the world the opportunity to engage with the public in a number of ways.
Posted inBooks
The Ghosts, Mermaids, and Beautiful Rats of Japan’s Tiny Netsuke Carvings
Miniature meditating skeletons, snarling cats, eerie ghosts, and gods of fortune carved in ivory, wood, and horn adorned the sashes of Japanese men throughout the Edo period.
Posted inNews
British Museum Will Train Iraqis in Rescue Archaeology
There’s nothing like watching ISIS blow up the ancient city of Nineveh to make archaeologists, conservationists, and historians feel helpless.
Posted inArt
The Pomp and Mockery of Louis XIV’s Propaganda Medals
Louis XIV, like politicians of today, knew the value of controlling his public image.
Posted inArt
British Museum’s First Commissioned Caribbean Sculptures Tower Over Its Great Court
Wander into the British Museum’s Great Court these days, and you’ll encounter two large, black and gold Moko Jumbie sculptures guarding the staircases on either side.
Posted inBooks
Praise the Lord! The World’s Oldest Bible Goes on Display at the British Museum
For only its second time on loan, the earliest known Bible is going on view this October at the British Museum.
Posted inIn Brief
Greece Won’t Sue to Get the Elgin Marbles Back
The Greek government has decided not to go to court to demand restitution of the Elgin Marbles, which the country has been trying to get back from the British Museum for three decades.
Posted inOpinion
A Patronizing Argument Against Cultural Repatriation
In the past few decades, cultural institutions in the West have increasingly felt pressure to return artifacts acquired through questionable means during the colonial era.
Posted inNews
Once More, Britain Refuses to Return the Elgin Marbles
In 2013, UNESCO asked the British Museum to let it mediate a deal between it and the government of Greece, which has been calling for the return of the Elgin Marbles with ever-growing fervor for the past 30 years.