The British Museum has faced plenty of criticism for its continued policy to hold onto its archives that were built from artifacts that were looted from native cultures around the world. To offer the museum “a taste of its own medicine,” Brazilian conceptual artist Ilê Sartuzi spent a year planning the oddest of heists. His piece of performance art involved attending a community event where patrons were allowed to handle old coins as part of an interactive exhibit and replaced a valuable 1645 silver coin with a replica.
He later deposited the original coin back into the donation box at the museum, filming the entire project and releasing it online as a commentary on the state of the museum’s collection and who it originally belongs to. Most interesting about the story was the fact that he consulted with legal experts before implementing his stunt and is likely to face no legal consequences since he technically never removed the coin from the museum and thus broke no actual laws. Whether you agree with the museum that it was a “disappointing and derivative act” or that it was a brilliant piece of social commentary, you have to appreciate the forethought that went into it.
