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Oil Spill at the British Museum

Just Do It | 13.07.2010 15:55 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Energy Crisis

This morning three members of the art activist group Culture Beyond Oil poured non-toxic black oil around the British Museum’s world famous Easter Island sculpture, in protest at BP’s sponsorship of the museum. Emily James, Director of Just Do It, happened to be there and captured the action.

VIDEO AND PICTURES HERE:  http://just-do-it.org.uk/oil-spill-at-the-british-museum

This morning three members of the art activist group Culture Beyond Oil poured non-toxic black oil around the British Museum’s world famous Easter Island sculpture, in protest at BP’s sponsorship of the museum. Emily James, Director of Just Do It, happened to be there and captured the action.

Following similar actions at the Tate Modern, Tate Britain and National Portrait Gallery in recent weeks, the activists targeted the British Museum because of the annual sponsorship it receives from the infamous oil company.

A recent report called ‘Licence to Spill’ from the campaign group Platform has pointed to the benefits of cultural sponsorship for oil companies, stating that “the financial support that the companies [like Shell and BP] provide [to cultural institutions] strengthens their position as a part of Britain’s cultural and social elite, and creates a perception of making a positive contribution to our society”, thus giving them a “social license to operate”.

The statue around which the oil was poured* is known as Hoa Hakananai'a, a 2000 year old relic taken from Easter Island by European explorers. The story of the Easter Island statues is often cited as an example of the speed with which once strong civilizations have suddenly collapsed.

Ben Cooper, who is also part of Liberate Tate, said: “Oil sponsorship of public institutions is a problem that stretches way beyond BP and the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil industry has a long history of environmental and human rights abuses, and is currently pulling us closer and closer to a potential catastrophe on a global scale.

"Just like the forests on Easter Island, oil represents a resource being over-exploited despite massively increasing risks. With our relentless search for oil we are risking the collapse of the ecosystems on which we depend - just as the inhabitants of Easter Island did 2000 years ago”.

Just Do It
- e-mail: just.do.it.film@googlemail.com
- Homepage: http://just-do-it.org.uk/

Comments

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nice1,Cheif Bilderberger Peter Sutherland BP&Goldman sachs CEO,knew&sold shares

13.07.2010 16:56

making a serious profit, whilst the GB stakeholders took it in the neck including nottm city council also has alot of shares in BP, like many councils& pensioners.
We now know how to cap other spills though, well done to safety engineers who should have been payed to be there in the first place, there is no excuse.

Renewables& sustainable living 4all please,
lets really go Beyond petroluem,
The chinese are making a effort on this& the Russians, long term sustainability is a much better way to defend what we love

Green Syn