Greece accuses British Museum of provocative indifference' over pink ball

"Lina Mendoni said the museum was guilty of provocative indifference to treasures that embodied the high point of classical western art. Images of tables laden with trappings of a lavish meal steps away from the antiquities also raised ethical questions, she railed. The safety, integrity and ethics of the monuments should be the main concern of the British Museum once again it is exhibiting provocative indifference, she said."

"The British Museum has been accused of provocative indifference and covering Greek culture in the shade of Barbie by officials in Greece after it hosted a star-studded fundraising gala that included guests seated near the Parthenon marbles. Days after Mick Jagger, Naomi Campbell, Alexa Chung, Miuccia Prada, Manolo Blahnik, Kristin Scott Thomas and dozens of other celebrities and billionaires paid 2,000 each to attend the museum's inaugural pink ball, Greek officials were still incandescent over an event described as offensive by the country's cultural minister."

"Guests at the gala, which raised more than 2.5m for the museum, were treated to a drinks reception in the museum's Great Court before the evening's highlight dinner within view of the fifth-century BCE carvings in the Duveen Gallery. A silent auction was also held throughout the evening. But on Thursday many in Athens were of the view that the gala's greatest achievement had been to bring relations between the museum and the Greek government to a new low."

The British Museum hosted a star-studded inaugural pink ball with celebrities including Mick Jagger, Naomi Campbell, Alexa Chung, Miuccia Prada, Manolo Blahnik and Kristin Scott Thomas, raising more than 2.5m. Guests attended a drinks reception in the Great Court and a dinner within view of the fifth-century BCE Parthenon marbles in the Duveen Gallery, with a silent auction during the evening. Greek officials, including cultural minister Lina Mendoni and the speaker of parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis, condemned the event as provocative and offensive, citing ethical and conservation concerns. The gala intensified tensions amid Greece's long-standing campaign to reunify Parthenon sculptures.

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