Brazilian Artist Swaps Historic British Coin at Museum to Highlight Imperialism

Brazilian conceptual artist Ilê Sartuzi swapped a historic British coin with a fake at the British Museum to draw attention to its collection of foreign objects. The act highlights critiques of museums like the British Museum and the Louvre as imperialist institutions. The British Museum stated it would inform the police.

Brazilian conceptual artist Ilê Sartuzi swapped a historic British coin with a fake in a bold statement against imperialism at the British Museum. The artist's act was meant to spotlight the significant number of foreign objects housed by such institutions.

Sartuzi noted inspiration struck when he observed a museum volunteer handing out coins to visitors. He specifically requested a silver coin from the English Civil War era, created a diversion, and made the switch. Sartuzi later deposited the authentic coin in the museum's collection box.

The incident, first reported by Hyperallergic, was part of Sartuzi's master's degree project at Goldsmiths, University of London. The British Museum expressed disappointment, stating the act abused a volunteer-led service designed to engage visitors with history. The museum plans to inform the police about the June incident, following recent scrutiny over how it acquired some artefacts and a previous security breach.

(With inputs from agencies.)