The Egyptian Museum of Barcelona evaluates this Monday the damage caused this weekend by a couple of activists from the Futuro Vegetal organization. The individuals poured a sticky liquid that simulated oil on a display case containing a mummy of about 2,700 years old and on some Harry Burton photographs that illustrate the excavations in the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun. Seconds later, they unfurled a banner with the message: “COPCA COLA 2.5º”, in reference to the COP27 summit that is being held these days in Egypt.
Although the center has opened its doors on Monday, the affected room is partially closed. Mariàngela Taulé, general director of the patronage of the Clos Archaeological Foundation, has made her first statements to EFE and has advanced that the center will file a complaint. She has also not ruled out a lawsuit against both individuals.
To avoid further damage and with the aim of keeping it, the museum had to open the display case of the affected sarcophagus. The activists said yesterday that they were acting on a replica but Taulé has specified today that “it is not”.
On the other hand, the general director has lamented that “these people do not understand the function of museums, that we are centers of cultural dissemination, of reflection, that we try to have critical thinking, exhibiting archaeological objects that serve to review history and put into criticizes official speeches”.
Taulé has also stressed that, beyond the material damage, there was personal injury, because “one of the colleagues had a huge power surge and had to be treated by an ambulance”.
