Artists Use Augmented Reality to ‘Steal Back’ the Rosetta Stone

Artists Chidi Nwaubani and Ahmed Abokor, working under the collective Looty, have used augmented reality (AR) to virtually return the Rosetta Stone to its original location in Rashid, Egypt. The real stone has been housed at the British Museum since it was taken from Egypt in 1799.

The Heist

The artists obtained a 3D scan of the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum using an iPad Pro. They first consulted a lawyer, who confirmed that taking a scan was permitted under the museum’s terms and conditions—though reusing images would be illegal.

“I'm trying to steal back the aura, the soul of this artefact.”
— Chidi Nwaubani

After cleaning up the scan with 3D tools, the pair flew to Egypt. Using geo-located AR—similar to the technology behind Pokémon Go—they placed a digital recreation of the stone at its original site in Rashid.

More Than a Digital Trick

The project aims to “reclaim the aura” of the artefact and challenge the British Museum’s control over cultural heritage. It is not a call for physical repatriation, but a conceptual act of rebellion.

The artists have also scanned other African artefacts, including a brass Oba head from Benin, and have collaborated with artists in Sudan. Nwaubani recently won the 2026 Cape Town Art Fair prize for an installation titled “What Cannot Be Returned, Must Be Reconceived.”

A Symbol of Cultural Violence

Dr. Monica Hanna, an Egyptian archaeologist, described the Rosetta Stone as “the symbol of cultural imperialism and cultural violence.” She expressed a desire to “break this cycle that has kept Egyptology in a glass box in the museum.”

Local Celebration

In Rashid, local residents celebrated the virtual return. Schoolchildren gathered around the artists as the digital stone flickered into place at its original location—a moment of reclamation, if only in pixels.