Culture Ministry to file complaint over drone display over Acropolis

Greece’s Culture Ministry has reacted strongly to what appears to be an Adidas advertising campaign involving a drone light show that used the Parthenon as a backdrop.

Widely circulated images on social media, reportedly shot on Thursday evening, showed illuminated drones forming the Adidas logo and a sports shoe hovering above the ancient citadel.

In a statement on Friday, the Culture Ministry announced it would file a legal complaint within the day against all responsible parties for violating archaeological protection laws. The ministry also said it is in contact with the Civil Aviation Authority to determine whether the necessary permits for the drone flight were issued in accordance with current regulations.

Adidas was not immediately available for comment.

Opposition party SYRIZA condemned the stunt, calling it a “commodification of Greece’s cultural heritage,” and criticized authorities for allegedly approving the event. The party also pointed to the recent rejection by the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) of a request by five-time Oscar-nominated director Yorgos Lanthimos to film scenes for his new movie at the Acropolis.

“The image of a sports shoe ‘stepping’ on the Acropolis, created using a drone swarm for advertising purposes, constitutes an offensive commercialization of the core of our cultural heritage,” SYRIZA said. “It raises the question: by what criteria was such a proposal approved, when just last month the Culture Ministry denied director Yorgos Lanthimos permission to film at the archaeological site?”

Source: pagenews.gr