Culture Minister Lina Mendoni has criticized the dinner organized by the British Museum in the hall housing the Parthenon Sculptures, calling it offensive.
“Such actions are offensive to cultural property and endanger the exhibits themselves,” she said, answering a journalist’s question.
Mendoni added that the Culture Ministry has repeatedly condemned events such as dinners organized in museum spaces where monuments and works of art are exhibited.
“This is precisely what the administration of the British Museum did last Saturday, once again using the Parthenon Sculptures as decorative elements for the dinner it hosted,” she added.
Mendoni went on to describe the British Museum’s attitude as provocative and indifferent, emphasizing that the safety of the monuments should be its foremost concern.
The British Museum hosted the inaugural Pink Ball dinner on Saturday, presented as the institution’s own take on the Met Gala.
Many distinguished guests attended the charity event, reportedly paying up to £2,000 for a seat, while the dinner featured an Indian theme in line with the museum’s exhibition on ancient India.
It is estimated that around 900 people were present in total, among them former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.