Ile Sartuzi, a Brazilian conceptual artist, has recently attracted considerable attention through a daring and symbolic act designed to critique the British Museum's extensive collection of non-British artifacts. In June, Sartuzi executed a deliberate swap in which he replaced an authentic British coin with a counterfeit replica, intending to spotlight the museum’s repository of objects largely acquired from outside the United Kingdom.

The act was triggered by Sartuzi's observation of a museum volunteer distributing coins for visitor handling. Seizing the moment, he requested an English Civil War-era silver coin, a choice reflecting his aim to highlight one of the few authentically British items amidst the museum’s predominantly international collection. After obtaining the genuine coin, Sartuzi orchestrated a diversion to facilitate the exchange, substituting the original with the fake.

According to Sartuzi, he ensured the authentic coin’s return by depositing it into a museum collection box as he exited. This subversive action was documented in a video created for his master’s degree project at Goldsmiths, University of London, and was initially reported by The Art Newspaper. The video elaborates on Sartuzi's motivations and his broader critique of the museum's role within the global art sphere.

In response to the incident, the British Museum has announced its intention to involve law enforcement. A museum spokesperson condemned Sartuzi’s actions as "disappointing and derivative," alleging that the artist's act misused a volunteer-led service designed to provide visitors with an authentic historical experience. The museum expressed concern that Sartuzi's actions compromised the educational value of interacting with genuine artifacts.

Sartuzi’s protest is part of a wider critique targeting major cultural institutions such as the British Museum and the Louvre in France. He contends that these institutions, which perceive themselves as custodians of global heritage, are fundamentally rooted in imperialist practices that involved the appropriation of cultural artifacts from the global South and other regions. Sartuzi's coin swap was intended to challenge the legitimacy of the museum's collection practices and the ethical ramifications of its holdings.

The British Museum has faced scrutiny over the provenance of its artifacts, with ongoing disputes regarding the return of items acquired during colonial times. Prominent cases include the Parthenon Sculptures, which Greece has long sought to recover, and the Benin Bronzes, looted by British forces during the 1897 punitive expedition and currently subject to restitution claims by Nigeria. Despite these controversies, the British Museum has yet to address Sartuzi’s specific allegations publicly.

Sartuzi, whose artistic work has been showcased in Brazil, Portugal, and London, revealed that he sought legal advice from an art lawyer prior to executing the coin swap. His action comes against the backdrop of recent security issues within the British Museum, which, approximately a year ago, led to the dismissal of an employee and a comprehensive review of security measures following the discovery of hundreds of missing or stolen items.

This incident underscores ongoing debates surrounding the ethics of museum collections and the responsibilities of cultural institutions in addressing historical injustices related to the acquisition of cultural artifacts.