BP or not BP: Translating the Trojan Horse

BP or not BP confronted the British Museum on their ties to BP by anchoring a giant Trojan horse to their courtyard. BP was the main sponsor of the exhibition ‘Troy: Myth and Reality’, which was controversial as it meant that the British Museum was indirectly contributing to the climate crisis. Some of the activists claim that BP used this exhibition about Troy, its narratives and its imagery, to ‘artwash’ their activities. But BP or not BP uses the same narratives, specifically that of the Trojan horse, to accommodate its activities. How and why did they translate this symbol to such an emancipatory context, and how is it different from what BP is doing?