A fashion show held at the British Museum’s gallery housing the Parthenon marbles during London Fashion Week has provoked indignation from the Greek authorities, who have long been demanding the return of the renowned and much-disputed sculptures.
Fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu used the awe-inspiring backdrop of the ancient works at the British Museum to showcase his eponymous brand Erdem’s autumn and winter 2024 collection. His creations were primarily inspired by Greek opera singer Maria Callas and her performance in the 1953 opera Medea.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni issued a statement criticising the event: “By hosting a fashion show where the Parthenon Frieze are displayed, the British Museum once again shows it has no respect for the masterpieces of sculptor Phidias.”
She went on to criticise the Museum’s treatment of the work, arguing that it not only degraded the monument but also the universal values it embodied. She expressed concern about the deteriorating display conditions of the sculptures in the Duveen galleries and called for the stolen stonework to be returned to Greece.
Greece has been demanding the return of this 75-metre-long frieze detached from the Parthenon for decades. It is one of the central pieces in the British Museum’s collection.
London maintains that the sculptures were legally acquired in 1802 by the British diplomat, Lord Elgin, who later sold them to the British Museum. However, Greece argues that they were looted while the country was under Ottoman rule.
