Katie and Steve speak with preeminent art advisor Megan Fox Kelly about the proliferation of resale restrictions in art transactions, what problems they seek to address, who they purport to help, how effective they are, and the legal issues they raise. They discuss the overlapping cultural, social, and legal aspects of these contractual terms.
France v. USA: Legal Remedies for Authentication Disputes
Steve and Katie speak with two preeminent French art lawyers, Anne-Sophie Nardon and Olivier de Baecque, about disputes surrounding the authenticity of art and how French and US courts get involved in these disputes. Because many of the world’s greatest artists made their home in France, many of the experts on these artists and their work are in France, and French courts have long adjudicated disputes about the accuracy of opinions made by experts regarding authenticity.
Season End Art Law Roundup
Steve and Katie discuss several art law topics in this end-of-season episode. They talk about internal thefts at the British Museum, the ongoing Victorious Youth litigation between Italy and the Getty Trust, the Damien Hirst backdating scandals, the litigation between the Manhattan DA and the Art Institute of Chicago, and the recent litigation between the Donald Judd Foundation and Kim Kardashian.
End-of-season message from Steve and Katie: Thank you to all of our listeners for your support, and we look forward to bringing you season 8 in September!
Italy’s Expansive Control Over Cultural Heritage
Steve and Katie speak with Italian lawyer Giuseppe Calabi and art historian Sharon Hecker about Italy’s cultural patrimony laws granting state institutions control over the use of images of cultural property long in the public domain. They discuss the legal, ethical, and practical issues with such laws and their specific application to uses of the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci located at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice and the statue of David by Michelangelo located at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Florence.
The 25th Anniversary of the Washington Conference Principles and Where We are on Nazi-Looted Art
Steve and Katie talk with their colleague, Tom Kline, about the Nazi’s program of remaking European culture, the enormous theft and displacement of art that occurred as part of that program, and the efforts of the heirs of Jews displaced during World War II to reclaim art and cultural property. The discussion focuses on the Washington Principles, the updated best practices issued upon their 25th anniversary, and how claims for restitution have changed over this time.