Nostoi: reflecting on cultural policy at UEA

Later today I will be exploring the return of cultural property to Greece and to Italy in the European Forum at UEA. I will be reviewing the scale of the market in antiquities and considering the bilateral agreement between Greece and Italy. We will then consider the objects that have been returned to Italy and to Greece from (mainly) North American public and private collections. Greece has used the "Nostoi" exhibition to widen the discussion to the return of architectural sculptures such as the Parthenon marbles. Finally I will consider how this is a wider problem for Europe and will consider issues from Spain, as well as the UK. How will the antiquities market in the UK comply with the ethical concerns of the wider political communities?

Homecomings: a reflection

I will be speaking to the European Forum at UEA next week on the topic of "Homecomings: returning cultural property to Greece and Italy" [details here]. I will be reflecting on how museums and private collectors acquired recently-surfaced material. It is important to consider how parts of our European heritage have been pillaged with the resulting loss of knowledge.