Showing 5 results for the month of April, 2004.

April 20, 2004

Plans to finish the Edinburgh Parthenon

Posted at 9:26 pm in Acropolis

Around the world there are a number of replicas of the Parthenon, most notably one in Nashville. Edinburgh (a city that sometimes describes itself as “the Athens of the North”) has the beginnings of a replica which was never completed.
Now an architect has put forward a proposal to complete it using flagpoles to finish the remaining columns.

From:
Edinburgh Evening News

Tue 20 Apr 2004
Architect flags up plan to finish ‘Edinburgh’s Disgrace’
ALAN MCEWEN

FOR almost 200 years it has stood as one of the city’s best known and best loved landmarks despite being only half-built.

But now one of Scotland’s leading architects has unveiled plans to complete the unfinished “Parthenon” on Calton Hill.
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Return of Elgin Marbles would “rip heart from museum”

Posted at 9:02 pm in Elgin Marbles

Tory MPs have claimed in a recent debate that returning the Elgin Marbles would be like ripping the heart out of the British Museum. I wish they would explain how the removal of the marbles from the Parthenon does not count as a far worse act.

From:
The Scotsman

Mon 19 Apr 2004 5:21pm (UK)
Marbles Return ‘Would Rip Heart from Museum’
By Vivienne Morgan, Political Staff, PA News

Returning the Elgin Marbles to Greece would “rip the heart out of the British Museum” and must be resisted by ministers, Tories urged today.

Museums minister Estelle Morris said the historic dispute – a source of friction between Greece and Britain for more than 200 years, was not a matter for Government.
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April 19, 2004

Parliamentary questions on the exchange of artefacts

Posted at 8:44 pm in Elgin Marbles, Similar cases

On a fairly regular basis, some sort of specific reference is made to the Elgin Marbles in parliament, whether through an EDM or parliamentary questions etc. In this instance, Ansdrew Dismore (Hendon, Lab.) asks the minister for the minister for the arts whether she has been involved in any discussions with the Greek government.
Once again Timothy Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham, Con.) makes arguments about decontextualisation, missing the point that the move to the British Museum was a far worse case of decontextualisation than any which he might be referring to.

From:
Hansard

19 Apr 2004 : Column 13
[….]
Museum Exchanges (Greece)

7. Mr. Andrew Dismore (Hendon) (Lab): What discussions she has had with the Greek government over exchanges of artefacts for exhibition in museums. [166146]

The Minister for the Arts (Estelle Morris): Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have had discussions with the current Greek Government about such exchanges.
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April 15, 2004

More delays for New Acropolis Museum

Posted at 9:34 pm in New Acropolis Museum

The New Acropolis Museum is a project that has dragged on for well over 10 years with various architects. The latest problem is that many local property owners are using the courts to slow the construction process, in the hope that the site without the museum on will increase the value of their property.

From:
Arts & Antiques

Stalemates in Greece
Joel Groover
May 2004

ATHENS, GREECE—Greek officials hoped the empty galleries of a much-anticipated New Acropolis Museum would shame Britain into returning the Elgin Marbles in time for the 2004 Athens Olympics. But the architect of the half-built museum—a glass and steel box on the slopes of the Acropolis—now says it cannot open in time for the Games (August 13–29).
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April 11, 2004

Bringing back old riches to India

Posted at 9:40 pm in Similar cases

The Times of India is arguing (in a somewhat over-optimistic way) that India should emulate the campaigns for the return of the Elgin Marbles in an attempt to retrieve many of their own artefacts that are held by foreign museums.

From:
The Times of India

New duty for the neo-rich: Bring back old riches
GUNVANTHI BALARAM
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2004 02:29:07 AM ]
MUMBAI: It seems that nothing less than a relentless battle and extreme perseverance will help us recover our lost antiquities. And Greece can sure provide us with some tips.

Agrees R Nagaswamy, Tamil Nadu’s former director of archaeology and vice-chancellor of Kancheepuram University , “Look at how Greece is keeping the pressure on the British to return the Elgin marbles by the time of the Athens Olympics. They’ve succeeded in getting many countries on their side—the British public as well—and who knows, soon the British Museum may succumb too. Why Greece , even smaller countries such as Nigeria and Sri Lanka are fighting to get their stolen art treasures back. India should start mobilising international opinion to recover some of its great antiquities,’’ says the veteran archaeologist.
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