“Art Crime,” a visual documentation of 22 works that have been stolen, vandalized, looted, or forged, will be on display at NYU’s Kimmel Galleries (Kimmel Center for University Life, 60 Washington Square South [at LaGuardia Place], Second Floor) from Dec. 13, 2016 through March 1, 2017.
The display consists of reproductions of well-known pieces that have been stolen (da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”), vandalized (Mark Rothko’s “Black on Maroon”), looted (“Lioness Attacking a Nubian”), or forged (works in the style of Vermeer were famously forged by Hans van Meegeren).
Each reproduced work—printed on fabric phototex—is accompanied by a description outlining its history and artistic significance.
The exhibition and the research on each piece are the culmination of “Art Crime and the Law,” an undergraduate course in NYU’s College of Arts and Science, which examines illegal activities in the art world. The course, part of NYU’s Department of Art History and taught by Leila Amineddoleh, an art and cultural heritage law attorney, considers the destruction of art during conflict as well as WWII era looting and Nazi appropriation of art, forgery schemes, and thefts from museums and private collectors.
During the academic year (Sept. 6-Dec. 23, 2016; Jan. 23-May 16, 2017), Kimmel Galleries is open 8 a.m. to midnight, Mondays through Saturdays, and noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays. During the Jan. 2017 term, it is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and closed on weekends. For more information, call 212.998.4950 or email [email protected].
The exhibition is part of Curatorial Labs @Kimmel Galleries, a cross-disciplinary program that partners with NYU departments, courses, and organizations to facilitate exhibitions developed by students. This new initiative of Kimmel Galleries provides curatorial support and gallery space with the goal of producing exhibitions from academic coursework or working with student organizations.
