By: Jerry Zhang

On June 18, Brazilian artist Ilê Sartuzi discreetly swapped a 17th-century British coin at the British Museum with a replica. The museum discovered the switch only last week when Sartuzi revealed the act on his Instagram page, revealing that the authentic coin had been placed in the donation box.

This act was the culmination of a year’s meticulous planning by Ilê Sartuzi, an art student at Goldsmiths, University of London. He intended to draw a comparison between a magician’s sleight of hand when briefly stealing the coin and the museum’s history of looting artifacts from other countries. Sartuzi said, “The gesture of stealing as a central part of the project brings back the heated discussion about the role of looting in the museum’s foundation.”

The British Museum has a long history of acquiring and withholding contested pieces of art from their home countries. Belonging to the U.K., once one of the largest empires in the world, the British Museum has collected numerous artifacts from across the globe, including the Rosetta Stone from Egypt, the Elgin Marbles from Greece, and the Diamond Sutra from China. This has led to longstanding criticism and demands from several nations for the return of these artifacts. So far, the British Museum has not returned any artifacts, unlike museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Fowler Museum. However, this latest stunt did not seem to amuse the museum.

According to [source], The British Museum described the incident as “disappointing” and “derivative.” Connor Watson, the museum’s spokesman, stated, “It’s a tired argument. We’re quite open about what is looted and what is a contested object.” In contrast, Richard Noble, head of Goldsmiths’ Art department, along with his colleagues were impressed by the project, believing it effectively highlighted issues of cultural imperialism.

This recent incident reignites the argument on whether the museum should return its artifacts to their home countries, underscoring the ongoing debate over cultural heritage and ownership through the use of a practical joke.

Image Credit by Zhengyang Li