Parthenon Marbles, British's new director: 'we hope to do something positive'

First interview for the new director of the British Museum in London, Nicholas Cullinan, who took office at the end of March, succeeding Hartwig Fischer, the former director who resigned after the sensational affair of thefts at the museum. To expound his ideas on the British, Cullinan chose the BBC, and one of the hottest topics could only be the return of objects in the museum’s possession to their countries of origin: among them, the Benin bronzes but especially the Parthenon marbles, at the center of a multi-year dispute with Greece.

In this respect, Cullinan, an art historian born in 1977 and former director of the National Portrait Gallery, expressed a willingness to “do something positive,” while reiterating that currently the museum cannot permanently return its objects, but it can establish temporary loan arrangements with individuals who might eventually request pieces from the British collection. The impossibility is due to the existence of a 1963 law that prevents the practice of deaccessioning, or the removal of certain works from public museum collections. However, Cullinan stressed the British’s openness to possible partnerships.

“I hope that some kind of partnership can be put in place,” the director told BBAC, “and I think that’s something we’ll definitely want to pursue. I think it’s a little too early for me to get into the details of how that might work, but I’m hopeful.” And just speaking from the Parthenon Marbles, Cullinan pointed out that in the past some “great things have been achieved because of partnerships.” The challenge, the director concluded, “is not to deny or suppress, but to be open and think, ’How can we do something positive with this heritage?’”

Pictured: Nicholas Cullinan

Parthenon Marbles, British's new director: 'we hope to do something positive'

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