[CPProt.net] Artists sue for £15m over Britart fire

[Ellie Bruggeman]

Artists sue for £15m over Britart fire

  /A GROUP of artists and collectors including Damien Hirst and Dave 
Stewart is to sue a storage company for negligence over a fire at its 
premises that destroyed many of Britain's most famous contemporary art 
pieces.

The 30 claimants, seeking up to £15 million, also include the artist 
Gillian Ayres, the daughters of the late Patrick Heron, the collector 
Shirley Conran and the Royal Academy.

The fire swept through Momart's storage facility in London in May 2004, 
destroying over 100 works, worth an estimated £60 million. These 
included the "Britart" works produced by the Young British Artist 
movement, including Hirst's Charity, Tracey Emin's Everyone I Have Ever 
Slept With 1963-1995, and Hell by Jake and Dinos Chapman.

Jonathan Wood, of Clyde & Co, the firm of lawyers co-ordinating the 
claim, described the fire as a "disaster waiting to happen".

The case against Momart will argue that its premises were "wholly 
unsuitable as a storage location for high-value fine art", according to 
a statement from Clyde & Co.

"The premises were located among other units where there was a high risk 
of fire; the building itself was not constructed so as to prevent the 
rapid spread of fire... coupled with this was the inadequate security 
and fire detection provisions."

Momart denies negligence over the fire. A statement from its board said: 
"The fire was a tragedy for those of Momart's customers who were 
affected, and for Momart. However, it must be borne in mind that it was 
caused by arson in an adjacent warehouse.

"Given that High Court proceedings have been commenced, it would not be 
appropriate for us to comment on the legal issues, but it should suffice 
to say that all claims against Momart will be defended vigorously."

Robert Read, the fine-art director at Hiscox, one of the insurance 
companies represented in the lawsuit, said the action was standard 
practice for an insurance firm seeking to mitigate its losses.

The destruction of the Britart pieces attracted most of the headlines, 
although it subsequently emerged that many works from an earlier period 
were also destroyed.

Eighteen paintings by Gillian Ayres were lost, as well as about 50 
paintings by Patrick Heron.

The case is expected to be heard next year.

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1837662005
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