The phenomenon of artwashing is becoming more and more common

Dressed up for ancient Greek warriors in the company of a Trojan horse, the activist group BP or not BP fought against the British Museum in London.

The reason is that the oil giant is sponsoring an exhibition on ancient Troja.

- We wanted to highlight the hypocrisy in BP running a destructive business for the people living in the Middle East. At the same time, by sponsoring the exhibition, they claim to support the culture from there, says Mattina Hiwaizi, activist at BP or not BP.

According to Mattina Hiwaizi, the three-day protest at the British Museum was well received by other visitors, school classes, museum staff and members of the British Museum.

- The response was overwhelming, during the three days schoolchildren came there and bowed to BP and other visitors who wanted to participate in the protests, she says.

In recent years, the fight against artwashing has escalated, for example through campaigns against institutions that have received money from the American Sackler family. The reason is their connections to the company Purdue Pharma, which is identified as complicit in the US opioid crisis.

Among other things, a giant protest was carried out against the Guggenheim Museum in New York and their collaboration with the Sackler family. In the UK, there has been a struggle for a long time against, above all, BP's involvement in the arts. Mel Evans, author of the book Artwash: Big Oil and the Arts, believes that this has led to changes.

- Four years ago, Tate Modern terminated the collaboration with BP after a long campaign. The Royal Shakespeare Society ended its contract with BP a few months ago. Also National Theater and National Galleries of Scotland, so we see a change towards the oil companies, says Mel Evans.

The most recent campaign against the British Museum was the activist group BP or not BP's 40th order against the museum.

- During the days we protested, no one came from the museum's management to talk to us or hear what we want, says Mattina Hiwaizi.

The campaigns have not caused the British Museum to break with BP. In an email to the cultural news, the museum says that they take a serious look at climate change and work on the issue in their exhibitions, but at the same time they need outside partners.

Author Mel Evans believes that the protests in the United States and in the United Kingdom can lead to the art institutions placing greater demands on their sponsors.

- I think people have started asking more questions about the ethics of companies that sponsor them and donate money. What does it really mean to have these logos linked to the art, says Mel Evans.