British Museum Offers Greece “Exclusive NFT” of the Parthenon Marbles

The British Museum has dug its heels successful regarding its determination not to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles, adding insult to wounded done a caller connection of gifting Greece an “exclusive NFT” of the sculptures to “settle unreasonable and unnecessary questions implicit the existent ownership of history.” A spokesperson for the British Museum told Hyperallergic that the “generous compromise” should enactment an extremity to the conflict implicit the famed sculptures, which were “legally obtained.”

Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin, removed the marble sculptures depicting a conflict betwixt centaurs and the legendary “Lapith” radical of Ancient Greece from the Parthenon (the temple of Ancient Greek goddess Athena) and brought them into British assemblage territory with support from the Ottoman Empire that controlled Greece successful the aboriginal 1800s. However, the legality of the sculpture removal has travel into question repeatedly, with Greece demanding the repatriation of the marbles since 1835. England has not budged connected its bid that the marbles beryllium to them contempt the added unit of the Vatican’s caller repatriation of fragments of Parthenon Marbles from their postulation to Greece.

In a property league this morning, Saturday, April 1, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak voiced his enactment of the plan, stating that the NFT is “infinitely much valuable” due to the fact that the carnal sculptures — which person survived 2,500 years — “could ne'er past arsenic long.”

“This way, we tin remainder assured that determination volition beryllium nary further harm to these prized sculptures,” the spokesperson for the British Museum said successful a statement, citing the marbles’ sustained damages from respective wars successful Greek past and immoderate failed cleaning and restoration efforts from the conservators astatine the museum. “An NFT rendition of the Elgin Marbles [sic] volition beryllium minted and transferred to the jurisdiction of the Greek General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage to guarantee that determination is nary further disorder oregon statement regarding their existent ownership.”

Greece’s Ministry of Culture has not yet responded to Hyperallergic’s petition for comment, but precocious past night, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted simply, “JFC.”

“The blockchain truly is specified an elegant solution to this analyzable dialog surrounding the ownership of civilization and history,” said Tiffany Jenkins, a British writer who has defended the British Museum’s stance connected keeping the marbles.

Elaine Velie is simply a writer from New Hampshire surviving successful Brooklyn. She studied Art History and Russian astatine Middlebury College and is funny successful art's relation successful history, culture, and politics. More by Elaine Velie

Rhea Nayyar (she/her) is simply a New York-based teaching creator who is passionate astir elevating number perspectives wrong the world and editorial spheres of the creation world. Rhea received her BFA successful Visual... More by Rhea Nayyar