New Museum, Old Debate

The opening of the new Acropolis Museum in Athens will take place on June 20, 2009; which, is nearly five years after it was originally scheduled to open. The first image is an aerial photograph of the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum.

The entrance of the Museum at sunset. (above)

Detail of the ground floor of the Museum with glass “window” in floor with view to archaeological excavation. (above)

Originally, the museum was started as part of a solution to reacquire the "Elgin Marbles" or the "Parthenon Marbles." Lord Elgin, ambassador to the Ottoman court of the Sultan in Istanbul, "acquired" or "stole" the marbles, depending on which author you read, while excavating during several archaeological digs between 1801-1805. This dicey dig is basically the impetus for all the hullabaloo and stirring debates during the last two-centuries over "repatriation," or returning artworks to their country of origin.

Several important pieces from other museums have journeyed due to "repatriation" in recent years, such as the "Euphronios Krater" which, was returned to Italy after three decades of fighting with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, in January of 2008. The British Museum, which currently owns and houses the "Parthenon Marbles," has absolutely no intentions of ever "returning" these works of art. After centuries of debate about working orders and if Lord Elgin had the right to take the works or not, the British Museum tried a new angle and formally stated that if the marbles were returned to Athens they would certainly perish, because the country could not properly house or take care of the pieces in question. Not too long after this argument was beaten to death in academic circles and the press, lo' and behold a museum design was begun in Athens. This started a whole 'nother round of lively debates amongst scholars and those involved, wondering, will these marbles be on the move soon?

The collection at the British Museum includes sculptures from the Parthenon (roughly half of what now survives): 247 feet of the original 524 feet of frieze; 15 of 92 metopes; 17 figures from the pediments, and various other pieces of architecture. It also includes objects from other buildings on the Acropolis: the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, and the Temple of Athena Nike.

Further complicating these matters is the delayed opening of the New Acropolis Museum. While digging and preparing the location, one of the earliest Christian sites in Greece was discovered. Since it will take decades of work and research to examine the objects properly, the museum's architects came up with a clever solution: incorporate the dig into the museum's layout and plan. Pictured above is the final appearance of the adjusted design, which, allows visitors to watch the ongoing dig through a "window" in the ground floor of the museum and as an interesting feature to take in when approaching the museum's formal entrance.

I imagine that there will be very passionate and hefty arguments in the next several years over these marbles and the intentions of both the British Museum and the New Acropolis Museum. I will try to keep everybody up to date on this centuries old debate over the ancient marbles, the sticky business of "repatriation," and the success or failure of a brand new museum.

May inspiration and creativity be with you!