Statement: Kandinsky Sale – Grisebach auction house

19 December 2022

ICOM Germany and ICOM Poland wish to jointly express their support for the National Museum in Warsaw to take appropriate legal action to ensure the return of the stolen watercolour, Untitled (1928) by Wassily Kandinsky, recently listed by Grisebach auction house in Berlin. As the principal international body for museum standards and principles of conduct for the museum profession world-wide, ICOM takes matters related to the illegal trafficking and acquisition of stolen artworks very seriously.

History of the stolen Kandinsky
The watercolour was acquired by the National Museum in Warsaw in 1982, and exhibited at the museum in 1984 in the show Concepts of Space in Contemporary Art, during which it was stolen. It first resurfaced at a sale at Sotheby’s, London on 5 December 1984 , and in 1985 the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) published notice of the theft in the column "Stolen Art Alert". Despite the fact that the IFAR publication is widely circulated and consulted by art market actors, the work was sold again, at Galerie Thomas, Munich, in 1988.

Its recent listing in the sale catalogue of Grisebach auction house in Berlin prompted Poland's Ministry of Culture to send a request to Warsaw police to register the artwork in Interpol's stolen artworks database and provide detailed provenance documentation to the auction house. Officials from the ministry and the Polish embassy in Berlin thus requested that Grisebach withdraw the artwork from the 1 December sale due to its disputed provenance. The auction house maintained that the work was sold and bought in good faith.

However, ICOM Germany and ICOM Poland wish to highlight the following points:

1. The work has been published in several publications, including catalogues and the IFAR column. The catalogues were accessible and had the auction houses involved in the circulation of the stolen artwork executed proper due diligence, these red flags would have been revealed.
2. The reverse of the painting bears the property stamp of the National Museum in Warsaw, suggesting that the museum should have been consulted by each auction house before any sale took place to verify its provenance.

United Nations Resolution 76/16
On 6 December 2021 the United Nations adopted a resolution on the Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin, of which Recital 33 is of particular relevance to this case, whereby it invites:

[…] those who deal with trade in cultural property and their associations, where they exist, to encourage the effective implementation of the International Code of Ethics for Dealers in Cultural Property, as endorsed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on 16 November 1999, the International Council of Museums Code of Ethics for Museums and other existing codes.

As stated, the Resolution invites art market actors to conduct their business in the spirit of the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, of which the Recitals on Valid Title (2.2) and Provenance and Due Diligence (2.3) are particularly relevant to this case, for they underscore the importance of the documentary establishment of valid title. These very provisions are also reflected in Article 1 of the International Code of Ethics for Dealers in Cultural Property, which states that “Professional traders in cultural property will not import, export or transfer the ownership of this property when they have reasonable cause to believe it has been stolen [or] illegally alienated […].”

It is clear that an indisputable right to ownership of property on behalf of the consignor is not evident in this case. While ICOM Germany and ICOM Poland note the fact that the auction house has halted further handling of the sale and has sought a court review, it is maintained that the sale should be considered invalid and that the work should be returned to the legal owner on the basis of a mutual agreement between all parties.

Further implications
This case also evokes a more general reconsideration of the circulation of cultural objects within the art market. Due diligence research should be systematically and rigorously conducted by all art market intermediaries. In this case, a simple call to the museum by one of the intermediaries would have resolved the issue immediately (as the painting still bears the museum’s stamp). On the basis of the present case, therefore, ICOM Germany and ICOM Poland wish to appeal for a radical procedural change within the art market in order to prevent future instances of this problem and ensure the legal circulation of cultural objects.

Prof. Dr. Beate Reifenscheid
President, ICOM Germany

Dr. Piotr Rypson
Chair, ICOM Poland

Statement (PDF)

30. Dezember 2022

Stellungnahme: Angriffe auf Kunstwerke in Museen

Aus aktuellem Anlass veröffentlichen die unterzeichnenden Institutionen folgende Stellungnahme:
Due to current events, the following institutions publish this statement:

Statement
In recent weeks, there have been several attacks on works of art in international museum collections. The activists responsible for them severely underestimate the fragility of these irreplaceable objects, which must be preserved as part of our world cultural heritage. As museum directors entrusted with the care of these works, we have been deeply shaken by their risky endangerment. 

Museums are places where people from a wide variety of backgrounds can engage in dialogue and which therefore enable social discourse. In this sense, the core tasks of the museum as an institution – collecting, researching, sharing and preserving – are now more relevant than ever. We will continue to advocate for direct access to our cultural heritage. And we will maintain the museum as a free space for social communication.

Stellungnahme
In den vergangenen Wochen gab es mehrere Angriffe auf Kunstwerke in internationalen Museen. Die dafür verantwortlichen Aktivisten unterschätzen die Fragilität dieser unersetzlichen Arbeiten, die es als Weltkulturerbe zu bewahren gilt. Als Museumsdirektorinnen und -direktoren, denen die Werke anvertraut sind, hat uns ihre riskante Gefährdung zutiefst erschüttert.

Museen sind Orte, an denen Menschen unterschiedlichster Hintergründe in einen Dialog treten können und die gesellschaftliche Diskurse ermöglichen. In diesem Sinn sind die Kernaufgaben der Institution Museum – Sammeln, Forschen, Vermitteln und Bewahren – heute relevanter denn je. Wir setzen uns weiter für den unmittelbaren Zugang zu kulturellem Erbe ein. Wir werden Museen als Freiräume gesellschaftlicher Verständigung erhalten.

Déclaration
Ces dernières semaines, plusieurs attaques ont été perpétrées sur des œuvres d’art conservées dans les collections de musées de renom international. Les activistes responsables de ces attaques sous-estiment largement la fragilité de ces œuvres irremplaçables qui doivent être préservées car faisant partie intégrante de notre patrimoine culturel mondial. En tant que directrices et directeurs de musées en charge de la conservation de ces œuvres, nous sommes profondément choqués par leur mise en danger inconsidérée.

Les musées sont des lieux où s’établit un dialogue entre des personnes d’horizons très divers et donc des lieux qui contribuent aux échanges sociétaux. De ce fait, les fonctions essentielles du musée – collection, recherche, médiation et conservation – sont plus essentielles et plus pertinentes que jamais. Nous continuerons à nous engager pour offrir à tous un accès direct à notre patrimoine culturel. Nous allons aussi veiller à ce que le musée demeure un espace de liberté pour la communication et l’entente mutuelle.

Declaración
En las ultimas semanas hubo varias agresiones a obras de arte en museos internacionales. Los activistas responsables subestiman la fragilidad de estas irreemplazables obras de patrimonio cultural mundial, que deben ser conservadas. Como directoras y directores de museos responsables de las obras, su peligrosidad nos ha conmovido profundamente.

Los museos son lugares en los cuales las personas con diferentes fundamentos pueden entrar en un diálogo y con ello hacen posible el discurso social. En este sentido, las tareas centrales del museo como institución (coleccionar, investigar, compartir y preservar) son ahora más relevantes que nunca. Continuamos ocupandonos de inmediato  al acceso hacia la herencia cultural y mantendremos el museo como un espacio libre para comunicación social.

Signatories
Evelio Acevedo, Managing Director, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Lasse Andersson, Director, Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg

Elina Anttila, Director General, The National Museum of Finland, Helsinki

Richard Armstrong, Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, New York

Agustín Arteaga, Director, Dallas Museum of Art

László Baán, General Director, Museum of Fine Arts – Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest

Sebastian Baden, Director, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt

Séverine Berger, Director, Musée de l’Annonciade, Saint-Tropez

Claire Bernardi, Director, Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris

Konrad Bitterli, Director, Kunst Museum Winterthur

Andreas Blühm, General Director, Groninger Museum

Mikkel Bogh, Director, Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen

Frédéric Bußmann, General Director, Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz  

Thomas P. Campbell, Director, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Laurence des Cars, President, Musée du Louvre, Paris

Cécile Debray, President, Musée national Picasso-Paris

Markus Dekiert, Director, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, Cologne

Ann Demeester, Director, Kunsthaus Zürich

Roger Diederen, Director, Kunsthalle München

Hartmut Dorgerloh, General Director, Humboldt Forum, Berlin

Michel Draguet, Director General, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

Martin Faass, Director, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt

Miguel Falomir, Director, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Diego Ferretti, Director, Mart – Museo d’arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto

Gabriele Finaldi, Director, The National Gallery, London

Hartwig Fischer, Director, British Museum, London

Reidar Fuglestad, Director, Kunstsilo, Kristiansand

Susanne Gaensheimer, Director, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf

Akira Gokita, Director, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum

Peter Gorschlüter, Director, Museum Folkwang, Essen

Martine Gosselink, General Director, Mauritshuis, The Hague

Christoph Grunenberg, Director, Kunsthalle Bremen

Sabine Haag, Director General, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien

Tone Hansen, Director, Munchmuseet, Oslo

Annette Haudiquet, Director, Musée d’art moderne André Malraux, Le Havre

Christoph Heinrich, Director, Denver Art Museum    

Isidro Hernández, Chief Curator, Óscar Domínguez Collection, TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes

Karin Hindsbo, Director, National Museum, Oslo

Max Hollein, Director, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Johan Holten, Director, Kunsthalle Mannheim

Tristram Hunt, Director, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Ina Klaassen, Director, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

Thomas Köhler, Director, Berlinische Galerie    

Lidewij de Koekkoek, Director, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem

Felix Krämer, Director General, Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf

Karola Kraus, General Director, mumok – Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien

Ulrike Kremeier, Director, Brandenburgisches Landesmuseum für Moderne Kunst, Cottbus/Frankfurt (Oder)

Stephan Kunz, Artistic Director, Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur    

Christiane Lange, Director, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart           

Eric M. Lee, Director, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth

Séverine Lepape, Director, Musée de Cluny, Paris

Christophe Leribault, President, Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Christine Litz, Interim Executive Director, Städtische Museen Freiburg

Glenn D. Lowry, Director, Museum of Modern Art, New York

Katherine C. Luber, Director and President, Minneapolis Institute of Art 

Paola Malavassi, Director, DAS MINSK Kunsthaus in Potsdam

Roland Mönig, Director, Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal

Erik H. Neil, Director and CEO, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk

Jörg-Uwe Neumann, Director, Kunsthalle Rostock           

Alex Nyerges, Director and CEO, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond

Hermann Parzinger, President, Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin

Anne Pasternak, Director, Brooklyn Museum, New York

Katherina Perlongo, Interim Director, Georg Kolbe Museum, Berlin

Ann Philbin, Director, Hammer Museum UCLA, Los Angeles

Igor Poronyk, Director, Odessa Museum of Western and Eastern Art

Rebecca Rabinow, Director, The Menil Collection, Houston

Svenja Gräfin von Reichenbach, Director, Palais Populaire, Berlin

Beate Reifenscheid, President, ICOM Germany

Xavier Rey, Director, Musée national d’art moderne – Centre Pompidou, Paris

Stella Rollig, General Director, Belvedere Museum, Vienna

Bart Rutten, Director, Centraal Museum, Utrecht

Salvador Salort-Pons, Director, President & CEO, Detroit Institute of Arts

Henning Schaper, Director, Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden

Eike Schmidt, Director, Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florence

Cyrille Sciama, Director, Musée des impressionnismes Giverny

Klaus Albrecht Schröder, General Director, The ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna

Walter Smerling, Director, MKM Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst, Duisburg

Petter Snare, Director, KODE Bergen Art Museum

Guillermo Solana, Artistic Director, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Reinhard Spieler, Director, Sprengel Museum Hannover    

Paul Spies, Director, Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin        

Angela Stief, Director, Albertina Modern, Vienna

Elisa Tamaschke, Interim Director, Georg Kolbe Museum, Berlin

Matthew Teitelbaum, Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Gary Tinterow, Director, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Poul Erik Tøjner, Director, The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk

Karole P. B. Vail, Director, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

Juan Ignacio Vidarte, General Director, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Christoph Martin Vogtherr, General Director, Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Potsdam

Aurélie Voltz, General Director, Musée d’art moderne et contemporain de Saint-Étienne

Julia Wallner, Director, Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck, Remagen

Lucy Wasensteiner, Director, Liebermann-Villa am Wannsee, Berlin

Adam D. Weinberg, Director, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

Daniel H. Weiss, President and CEO, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Ortrud Westheider, Director, Museum Barberini, Potsdam

Nina Zimmer, Director, Kunstmuseum Bern – Zentrum Paul Klee

09. November 2022

07. November 2022