Art@Law | Constantine Cannon
Europe
Stolen collection of antiquarian books worth £2.5m recovered from underground store in Romania: A collection of rare books valued at more than £2.5m and stolen from a London warehouse in 2017 has been recovered in Romania.
19.09.2020, The Antiques Trade Gazette: Stolen collection of antiquarian books worth £2.5m recovered from underground store in Romania
Controversy erupts over Fiac cancellation: French galleries are divided between relief and disappointment regarding the cancellation of Fiac (Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain), which was due to take place in the Grand Palais, Paris, from 22 to 25 October.
18.09.2020, The Art Newspaper: Controversy erupts over Fiac cancellation
Banksy loses trademark battle over his famous Flower Thrower image: Banksy has been stripped of the trademark of his famous Flower Thrower image after a panel of judges ruled he tried “to circumvent the law” by opening a pop-up shop in Croydon, south London last October in a bid to protect his intellectual property rights. The panel also said Banksy’s anonymity undermined his case.
17.09.2020, The Art Newspaper: Banksy loses trademark battle over his famous Flower Thrower image
17.09.2020, Artnet: In a threat to Banksy’s empire, an EU court rules that he can’t hold trademarks while his identity remains a mystery
17.09.2020, The New York Times: Banksy’s attempt to trademark a graffiti image is thrown out
21.09.2020, Le Journal des Arts: Banksy pourrait perdre ses droits sur une de ses œuvres phares
UK High Court ruling could be ‘welcome news’ for arts organisations denied Covid-19 insurance payout: Museums, galleries and other art organisations in the UK may be in line for a payout after a court ruling brought some much needed clarity into the liability of insurance companies for Covid-19-related revenue losses.
17.09.2020, The Art Newspaper: UK High Court ruling could be ‘welcome news’ for arts organisations denied Covid-19 insurance payout
Art Paris, one of Europe’s first in-person fairs in six months, shows surprisingly positive signs for the art market: All eyes were on Paris as Art Paris kicked off its 2020 edition in the Grand Palais. The art fair is among the first major art market events in Europe since the coronavirus shutdowns forced a slew of cancelations six months ago. As such, many are looking to it as a test of the market. With dealers reporting good sales from an energetic local market, the fair could be a positive sign for the fall art season ahead.
17.09.2020, Artnet: Art Paris, one of Europe’s first in-person fairs in six months, shows surprisingly positive signs for the art market
United States
For the first time, TEFAF will allow digital vetting of artworks as it plans for an online edition to replace its fall New York fair: The organizers of the fall New York edition of the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), which takes place annually at the Park Avenue Armory, announced today that the event, scheduled for November, will go online only.
21.09.2020, Artnet: For the first time, TEFAF will allow digital vetting of artworks as it plans for an online edition to replace its fall New York fair
‘The local audience is the central audience’: as tourism tanks across the US, museums pivot to the visitors in their own backyards: As US museums slowly reopen in some major cities, their strategies are evolving to accommodate audiences newly dominated by local visitors.
18.09.2020, Artnet: ‘The local audience is the central audience’: as tourism tanks across the US, museums pivot to the visitors in their own backyards
Ailing museums receive $24 million in emergency grants from Mellon Foundation: Experts are forecasting a bleak future for U.S. museums struggling to make it through a pandemic. In July, the American Alliance of Museums released the findings of a survey that predicted the closure of 12,000 U.S. museums as a result of the coronavirus—a blow that the AAMD said “will be devastating for communities, economies, education systems, and our cultural history.” Now, in an attempt to mitigate the damage, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York has released nearly $24 million in grants to ailing museums.
17.09.2020, Art News: Ailing museums receive $24 million in emergency grants from Mellon Foundation
In an unprecedented move, the Brooklyn Museum is selling off works by Cranach, Courbet, and other artists to ease its financial woes: The museum is taking advantage of new emergency regulations from the Association of Museum Directors. Twelve works from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, including examples by the Renaissance Master Lucas Cranach the Elder and the Realist pioneer Gustav Courbet, are hitting the auction block at Christie’s next month.
16.09.2020, Artnet: In an unprecedented move, the Brooklyn Museum is selling off works by Cranach, Courbet, and other artists to ease its financial woes
16.09.2020, The New York Times: Brooklyn Museum to sell 12 works as pandemic changes the rules
16.09.2020, Art News: Amid pandemic-era financial pressure, Brooklyn Museum to sell 12 works at auction
18.09.2020, Le Journal des Arts: Le Brooklyn Museum va vendre 12 œuvres pour faire face à la crise
World
As the world contends with Covid, World Monuments Fund makes a bet on sustainable tourism: It may seem counterintuitive, given that the Covid-19 pandemic has wiped out international tourism at many formerly popular heritage sites. But the World Monuments Fund believes that the moment has arrived to champion sustainable tourism. With that goal in mind, it announced $1m in funding to support preservation work at seven cultural sites that were included in its 2020 World Monuments Watch list of 25 endangered places.
17.09.2020, The Art Newspaper: As the world contends with Covid, World Monuments Fund makes a bet on sustainable tourism
Art fairs in the virtual world: The abbreviation “OVR”, shorthand for “Online Viewing Rooms”, was barely used in art market circles before the Covid-19 pandemic. It is now almost inescapable.
16.09.2020, The Financial Times: Art fairs in the virtual world
21.09.2020, The Art Newspaper: Online market place for art continues to grow as new digital fair announced during Frieze week
Campaign to ‘free’ the Aboriginal flag gains momentum as Australian government seeks exclusive licensing rights: A years-long campaign to “free” the design of the Aboriginal flag has gained federal backing as the Australian government begins negotiations with a non-Indigenous clothing company that owns the licensing rights to its design.
15.09.2020, The Art Newspaper: Campaign to ‘free’ the Aboriginal flag gains momentum as Australian government seeks exclusive licensing rights
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