In the March 2023 issue of National Geographic, the cover is dedicated to the work of photographer Richard Barnes, who has traveled the world to document a recent phenomenon in archaeology: a new generation of curators and artists are calling for the return of past works to their natural homes.
In particular, Barnes visited Carrara where TORART has carved replicas of the Parthenon works that are today housed in the British Museum.
Below is a summary of the article:
For the past three years, photographer Richard Barnes has been traveling the world to document a recent phenomenon in archaeology: a new generation of curators and artists who are calling for artifacts to be returned to their ancestral homes.
Barnes has journeyed to Carrara, Italy, where artists and researchers are carving replicas of ancient Greek marble statues to replace the originals standing in the British Museum. He’s also visited Benin City, Nigeria, where bronze casters still practice the centuries-old art form but have to travel to London to see their predecessors’ work.
We spoke to him about how he was able to capture the repatriation movement—and the artifacts that are finally making their way home—for National Geographic’s March issue.
