Ceremony at the Pergamon-Altar

Restitution of Art and Culture to the Commons!

There is a famous treasure in Berlin known as the Pergamon Altar. This giant relief sculpture from Ancient Greece depicts the battle between the Giants and the Olympian gods known as the Gigantomachy. In the late 19th century, the Pergamon Altar was displaced from its original site in present-day Turkey and brought to Museum Island in Berlin. Since then it has been used and abused as a symbol–a representation of power by both Germany and the USSR. The Pergamon Altar has come to symbolize the displacement and occupation of culture by the powerful elite. A call has been issued for its return to Turkey.

We are here to question and confront the issue of colonization and misappropriation of art and cultural heritage. We stand in solidarity with the Turkish population in Berlin suffering from gentrification and racism. We will use the altar to bless victory for horizontality, sharing, and non-ownership.

#OccupyMuseums