MARBLES REUNITED

Exhibition: Tuesday 10 August – Friday 1 October 2004

Almost half of the Parthenon Marbles have resided in Britain since Lord Elgin removed the sculptures from the Acropolis in 1801-2 and the argument surrounding their fate has lasted for almost as long. The age-old and at times acrimonious debate has moved on substantially since Greece recently set aside the issue of ownership and is now centred upon the question of where the sculptures are best displayed - half in Greece and half in the British Museum, or together in the context of the building from which they came.

This exhibition, commissioned by the campaign groups Parthenon 2004 and the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles began a tour of the UK at London's ICA and comes via Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham, Edinburgh and York to Bristol. It recreates images of the Marbles, graphically reuniting through digital photographs those sculptures which are so starkly divided between Athens and London.

The New Acropolis Museum is currently being built in Athens to an award winning design, which when completed will provide a spectacular space to house the Marbles. A computerised 'walk-through' of the new museum will be on display and there will also be activities on hand, including a competition, for visitors with children.

Professor Anthony Snodgrass, the Emeritus Professor of Archaoelogy at the University of Cambridge and Chairman of BCRPM will give a lecture on the subject on Wednesday 29 September.