Almost a year has passed since George Osborne, the British Museum’s chair, asserted with assurance that his ancient establishment had overcome the difficulties brought on by crumbling infrastructure, demands for compensation, and shifts in the balance of global power. In addition, & nbsp,
As the” museum of our common humanity ,” Osborne said, presenting a pageant of world history to all comers,” the museum would offer an alternative perspective in an era of prickly nationalism and identity politics.” & nbsp,
Non-British listeners, but, picked up on an air of arrogance beneath a voice that seemed intellectual and extrovert. Osborne appeared to be saying,” We will act magnanimously as history instructors to the world, but unfortunately the job of presenting society’s accomplishments will be a British authority, reflecting British decisions about what matters and leaving the British subject to some of the greatest cultural riches uncontested.” In addition, & nbsp,
Then it appears that Osborne’s bubble of self-assurance has been shattered by the incredible revelations about what is actually happening at the museum this summer. Director Hartwig Fischer was forced to resign last month after it was revealed that up to 2, 000 items may have gone missing and, in some cases, were sold electronically. & nbsp,
The organisation had failed to maintain a proper supply of the roughly 8 million items in its set, in part because pay and morale were small, budgets had been cut, and salaries were exorbitantly low. This strange development quickly became apparent as the symptom of an even greater gloom. & nbsp,
The devotion of nations with claims to the museum’s collection has increased as a result of all of this. Begin with Greece and its long-standing demand for the return of sculptures that an aggressive European diplomat named Lord Elgin had taken from the Parthenon and the Acropolis. According to Lina Mendoni, the nation’s culture minister, any claim that the riches were safer in London than Greece has just collapsed.
However, the Global Times, a publication associated with the Communist Party in China, suggested that the museum returning all 23, 000 of the Chinese artifacts it owns. That wasn’t exactly a formal demand for return, but it was unquestionably an indication of Beijing’s populace.
What must be done
Mark Jones, Fischer’s leader, may be working to restore the museum to a bare minimum of operation. The job will be a test of damage control, almost an opportunity to map out the excellent new future Osborne promised in November.
Can anything be gleaned from the idea of a” exhibition of our popular society ,” which, despite being in London, readily imparts its knowledge and resources to the world and is able to secure funding from all corners of the globe? & nbsp,
Two issues must change in order for there to be any chance of that happening. & nbsp,
First, the historical establishment of Britain( including the legislators whose approval may be required to change the museum’s legal remit ) had overcome its visceral aversion to selective compensation in situations where the case for compensation is strong.
The most glaring example might be the Parthenon artworks. This is due to the fact that the 160-meter fresco that when encircled the church of Athena is a single work of art, with smaller pieces being on display somewhere and half of it being in London and the other. The case for unification in Athens is evident with a verandah bathed in Greek light waiting to receive the” British” category.
If the” rock in the footwear” of a social relationship between Greece and Britain that would otherwise be fruitful could be removed in some way, there would be many opportunities for the creative display of different Hellenic artifacts in London and other locations.
Given the cruelty of the attack, the Benin Bronzes, a general term used to describe items taken during an 1897 European colonial expedition in what is now Nigeria, are also an extraordinary case. The governments of France and Germany, as well as significant American museums and some European collections, have acknowledged this. & nbsp,
The museum’s claim to be the steward of a sizable and special collection of artifacts wouldn’t be compromised if it approached these cases with realism and sincerity. Instead, it would improve the social status of the institution. & nbsp,
An intellectual reevaluation of the museum’s management and status is the second requirement for a thriving London-based museum. It must in some ways be answerable to society’s wisest social guardians if it is to be a museum of humanity. & nbsp,
One of London’s some advantages as a global area is that it is home to numerous institutions with governance and funding that are wholly international, including think tanks, cultural and educational organizations, charitable lobby groups, and treaty-based organizations.
These organizations occasionally hold an extra-terrestrial political position. Others view the world attitude as merely a management and financial reflection. Some choices could be taken into account. In addition, & nbsp,
UNESCO may even play a part in this because, despite its disagreements, it is widely acknowledged that it certifies everything that is fundamental to the preservation of world culture. & nbsp,
Let there be a gallery of ordinary people. However, let’s not limit the management of that museum to a second former colonial power.
The Syndication Bureau, which holds rights, provided this article.