A fashion show at the British Museum and thus in front of the stolen Parthenon Marbles has triggered the outrage of Greece’s Culture Minister who rushed to issue a statement on a Sunday. Minister Lina Mendoni spoke of “insult to the monument.”
Turkish-British designer Erdem Moralioglu held his fashion show allegedly inspired by opera singer Maria Callas in the context of London Fashion Week.
“By organizing a fashion show in the halls where the Parthenon Sculptures are exhibited, the British Museum, once again, proves its zero respect for the masterpieces of Pheidias,” minister Lina Mendoni said in her statement.
“The directors of the British Museum trivialize and insult not only the monument but also the universal values that it transmits. The conditions of display and storage of the sculptures, at the Duveen Gallery, are constantly deteriorating. It is time for the stolen and abused sculptural masterpieces to shine in the Attic light,” the minister added.
It should be recalled that it is the same Culture Minister how had to step back from the idea of granting permission to DIOR for a fashion-show inside the Acropolis in 2021, following public outrage and pressure. The house of DIOR was ultimately given permission to have photo shooting in the Acropolis and a catwalk in the ancient Panathenaic stadium. Later, Mendoni allowed a Greek designer to hold a fashion show in the Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion,
Turkish-British designer Erdem Moralioglu reportedly chose the impressive setting of the Athens Parthenon sculptures showroom at the British Museum to present the autumn winter 2024 collection of his eponymous brand Erdem, inspired by Greek singer Maria Callas and her interpretation of the opera Medea in 1953.
Greece has been struggling to get the stolen Parthenon Sculptures back, however, talks and negotiations with the British Museum have not brought any positive results. Not yet.