Black Classicism - Moving Forward Lecture Series: Elizabeth Marlowe

Title: Decolonizing Museums and the Case of the ‘Elgin Marbles’ : Exceptionalism vs Solidarity Description: The so-called Elgin Marbles comprise a large group of sculptures and reliefs that were removed from the Parthenon temple in Athens by a British lord in the early 19th century, and today reside in the British Museum. Greece has been actively seeking their return since the 1980s. This talk will focus on long-standing assertions about the alleged “exceptionalism” of the Parthenon sculptures, and whether such arguments help or harm the larger cause of the decolonization of museums.