Worldwide Calendar

ArtWatch event:

The Tenth Annual James Beck Memorial Lecture

Tuesday, October 1st, 2019

The Society of Antiquaries of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE

6.15 for 6.30

The Speaker, Ben Lewis, author of The Last Leonardo:

“Fingers Crossed: Wishful Thinking, White Lies, Benedictions and the Attribution of the Salvator Mundi”

7.35 – 8.30 Reception, drinks

The National Socialist campaign against so-called “degenerate art” is often discussed in the context of Nazi art lootings and restitutions after 1945. This campaign was however fundamentally distinct from the regime’s thefts of private property – a calculated attempt to purge unwanted culture from the German state’s own collections. This seminar will explore how Nazi cultural policy developed during the early years of the Hitler regime, and the impact this had on the movement of artworks, culminating in the museum confiscations of summer 1937 and the Munich exhibition Degenerate Art. It will overview the work already done to reconstruct these events, and the resources available to find out more. It will also discuss how these resources can be of broader use to researchers seeking to reconstruct object histories in museums and private collections today.

Complete details and registration here...

The form authorship takes has never been static, but in the 21st century, the changes seem to be happening at lightning speed. While forms of creative expression advance at a faster rate than the law, authors must grapple with how – and whether – copyright attaches to their creations. But this is not a new dilemma. And even where a work as a whole is entitled to copyright protection, key elements may be unprotectable under the merger doctrine or as scènes à faire. The 2019 Kernochan Center symposium, held in conjunction with the U.S. Copyright Office, will address these issues in Exploring Copyrightability and Scope of Protection. We hope you can join us.

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In the current discussion concerning the Parthenon (sometimes called the Elgin) Marbles, the core issue is whether they should remain in the British Museum or be sent back to Athens. This means the discussion goes along the line of all or nothing. With our event, we want to go beyond that binary nature of the discussion and examine possibilities for a compromise solution. Because based on the large number of items of which the Parthenon Marbles consist solutions are conceivable that go beyond merely having or not having. Namely a division of individual items between Greece and the United Kingdom could be such a solution. But, of course, a compromise solution is not only a possibility because the possibility of a compromise exists, but also because both the United Kingdom and Greece can bring forward good arguments for why the Parthenon Marbles should either stay in London or go back to Athens.

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Finding a good art lawyer might be expensive and litigation can be a long and strenuous process. Join us for a series of workshops from the Center for Art Law to learn legal basics that can be applied to the visual arts. These hours are based on interactive learning, discussion, and hypothetical situations.

• Oct. 10: Copyright for visual artists – why it is important to register a copyright, and how to do it
• Oct. 17: Contract basics – why it is important to have a written agreement, and what to look out for
• Oct. 24: Business law for artists – why it is important to set up a business, and how to do it

This event is open to current Pratt students, alumni, faculty and staff.

Pratt strives to make all programs, services and activities accessible, and will provide assistance to accommodate any individuals with disabilities. Security personnel, located at booths at 200 Willoughby Avenue and other campus locations, are available for assistance. Additional accessibility resources are available at pratt.edu/accessibility.

More information and registration...

The North Carolina Journal of International Law‘s symposium “Patrimony in Peril” will focus on legal issues involving stolen and looted art, recovering cultural patrimony, and suggested legal reform to improve the current international and domestic laws relating thereto. The event will include three panels: one on cultural heritage law in conflict zones, one on provenance law, and one on asset forfeiture and recovery of looted art.

Please use the following link to sign-up: https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e3bovDTPmEjYWDH

The event will consist of a variety of talks from a number of different speakers, each covering a specific area related to art and cultural heritage law, including:

• 'Attribution disputes before the courts' by Lisette Aguilar (Keystone Law, former legal counsel at Sotheby's)
• 'Sovereign immunity as it relates to art and cultural heritage' by Luke Tattersall (barrister, Essex Court Chambers)
• 'Provenance research and spoliation' by Dr Jacques Schuhmacher (Gilbert Provenance and Spoliation Curator, Victoria & Albert Museum)
• 'The new Anti-Money Laundering rules and how they impact the art trade' by Julia Rodrigues Casella Hommes (Researcher, IAL)
• Copyright and appropriation art' by Maryam Parsioon (Queen Mary University of London)

More information and registration...

Knoedler Gallery was the longest operating art gallery in New York, the world art capital, until charges came that the gallery was selling forgeries as original works by Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and other great modern icons for millions of dollars. The creator of those paintings was a Chinese immigrant who produced the “masterpieces” in secret. Invented stories of how those paintings surfaced after decades accompanied the fakes. Collectors and some experts were fooled.

Driven to Abstraction follows the legal drama that ensued when the fakes were exposed, and the moral drama of selling forgeries when demand for those works sends prices into the millions. Knoedler has since closed. The forger fled to China.

More information and tickets...

There has been an enormous interest in investing in art over the last decade. Many financial theories argue for portfolio diversification, while the conventional art market wisdom suggests buying the best art one can afford. The following topics and many others will be discussed by this panel:

- Should you diversify your collection and focus on multiple genres and artists or not?

- Should a collector be concerned about the resale value of his or her collection?

- What financial principles apply to art and what’s specific and unique about the art market that makes it distinct (or not) from investing in financial assets.

Network with attendees and panelists over wine and light hors d'oeuvres before and after the presentation.

More information and registration... 

From Basquiat to Banksy, from the streets to the gallery, from vandalism to fashion, graffiti and street art are thriving and bringing with them new legal issues. Like many new areas of art, the law is still catching up, leaving us with questions such as: Can graffiti be copyrighted? Can it be removed without the artist’s knowledge or consent? Is street art legal and if not, who owns it?

Join us on October 15th and hear from Louise Carron, Executive Director of the Center for Art Law and Scott Burroughs, partner and litigator at Doniger / Burroughs, as they explain the legal issues that arise when graffiti becomes accepted by the art world.

Artists, art collectors and attorneys alike will benefit from learning about this hotly debated topic!

This program will offer 2 Continuing Legal Education credits to attorneys.

More information and registration...

Knoedler Gallery was the longest operating art gallery in New York, the world art capital, until charges came that the gallery was selling forgeries as original works by Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and other great modern icons for millions of dollars. The creator of those paintings was a Chinese immigrant who produced the “masterpieces” in secret. Invented stories of how those paintings surfaced after decades accompanied the fakes. Collectors and some experts were fooled.

Driven to Abstraction follows the legal drama that ensued when the fakes were exposed, and the moral drama of selling forgeries when demand for those works sends prices into the millions. Knoedler has since closed. The forger fled to China.

More information and tickets...

The annual conference of the Art Law Foundation (ALF) and the Centre for Art Law (CDA), organised in partnership with the Centre for Philanthropy of the University of Geneva (GCP), will focus on the topic of philanthropy and art. More precisely, this conference will be divided into four themes: art philanthropists, philanthropic structures, art foundations and museums. It aims to study the sociological, cultural, tax and economic incentives of philanthropy and patronage for individuals and companies. Moreover, leading specialists will analyse the risks and success factors of philanthropic structures, the limits of succession law and the management of an artist’s estate, as well as the evolution of a donation and the contractual obligations of museums.

More information...

Finding a good art lawyer might be expensive and litigation can be a long and strenuous process. Join us for a series of workshops from the Center for Art Law to learn legal basics that can be applied to the visual arts. These hours are based on interactive learning, discussion, and hypothetical situations.

• Oct. 10: Copyright for visual artists – why it is important to register a copyright, and how to do it
• Oct. 17: Contract basics – why it is important to have a written agreement, and what to look out for
• Oct. 24: Business law for artists – why it is important to set up a business, and how to do it

This event is open to current Pratt students, alumni, faculty and staff.

Pratt strives to make all programs, services and activities accessible, and will provide assistance to accommodate any individuals with disabilities. Security personnel, located at booths at 200 Willoughby Avenue and other campus locations, are available for assistance. Additional accessibility resources are available at pratt.edu/accessibility.

More information and registration...

Lawrence M. Kaye and Howard N. Spiegler, co-chairs of Herrick’s Art Law Group, will be presenting a program entitled “Recovering Nazi-Looted Art” at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, as part of its special exhibition “Auschwitz: Not Long Ago. Not Far Away.” They will discuss several cases and provide an overview of the relevant ethical and legal issues. Admission is complimentary, but seating is limited. Please register below to ensure your seat at the event.

More information and RSVP here...

Register now for our fifth annual Art Crime Symposium at City Gallery Wellington on Saturday 19th October 2019.

Earlybird discounted registrations are available until 19 September.

Hosted in conjunction with City Gallery Wellington and our other sponsors, ArtCrime2019’s overall theme will be “Iconoclasts, vandals and artists.” 

As in previous years, the Symposium will encompass a wide range of presentations on issues and aspects of art crime in New Zealand and elsewhere, under the umbrella of the overall theme.

There will be a range of presentations, plus ample opportunities for networking.

For more information and registration details, see here.