[MSN] Art Without Justice: The Statues of Discord (english translation)]

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Art Without Justice



The Statues of Discord

By Chiara Zamin

New York

26 November 2006



(English Translation)

    In recent days the Getty Museum of Los Angeles has decided not to
restitute the Aphrodite and the Victorious Youth, the two valuable
statues placed on the list of the trafficked objects that ended up at
Malibu.

    In a long letter written to the Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli,
the director of the California museum Michael Brand confirms the
decision to return to Italy only 26 pieces, that as of now have been
verified as imprudent acquisitions, but will not cede on the Venus of
Morgantina and the bronze athlete attributed to Lisippo, observing
that, according to Brand, "they are works that have been found in
international waters" and therefore not Italian.

    The letter from the Getty has inflamed the spirits of all at the
Ministry, from archeologists, researchers, and investigators who are
surfacing hidden truths.

    The Getty's decision arrives, in fact, after a year of talks with
Italy that demands the ownership of some 52 works, currently held
amongst the American museum's collection but according to Italy are
the fruit of illegal excavations.

    Much has been written in these days about the break in negotiations
between the two institutions in both the Italian and American press.
In the New York Times , Michael Brand has underlined his
responsibility to "preserve and care for the collection of the Getty
Museum, and to adhere to the laws of California".

    We ask at this point who is right and who is wrong and, in our attempt
to understand more, we have collected the testimony of who in this
twisted story is giving an important contribution to justice.

    Illegal trafficking, speculation, tomb robbers, fakes, behind all
these words hides the market of illicit works of art that the Italian
Carabinieri for years have controlled through their investigative
actions.

    Investigations that have resulted in the arrest of Giacomo Medici,
condemned to ten years in prison and that as of now sees Marion True
and Robert Hecht as defendants. True, ex-curator of the Getty Museum,
accused of lying about many acquisition operations on behalf of the
museum; Hecht, a kind of "dragon" in the trade of art works,
incriminated for selling pieces with illicit provenance to several
American museums amongst which is the Los Angeles Getty.

    "They are criminals" states Stefano Alessandrini,  consultant for
"Italia Nostra" in the Roman civil trial of Hecht and True.

    "The bronze of Lisippo" affirms Alessandrini, "was discovered in 1964
by a fisherman from Fano, his name was Romeo Pirani". Pirani sold the
bronze to a middleman for a little sum: 3 ,500 mila lilre (of the old
lira). From the fisherman, the bronze statue passed into the hands of
two entrepreneurs from Gubbio, and they themselves sold it, to an
antiquities dealer in Milan. From Milan the statue arrived in Monaco
at the Society Artemis of whom "dealer" David Carrit sold it to the
Getty.

    According to Alessandrini, the Los Angeles museum was knowledgeable of
the illicit provenance of the bronze statue and that all these
transfers of ownership were not declared to the Italian authorities.
Alessandrini adds: "I have a copy of an interview from 1979 that was
conducted by ABC. They interviewed Owen, the ex-director of the
Metropolitan, in which he declared to have turned down the purchase of
the Lisippo because the provenance was uncertain. In spite of other
museums evading the purchase of it, the Getty accepted it anyway and
paid to have the Lisippo".

    The theory that the Getty Museum knew everything is however denied by
the same director Michael Brand that in the letter revolts to Minister
Rutelli declaring: "we reject any suggestion that the Getty had
knowledge when it acquired the objects to be transferred that they had
been illegally excavated from Italy".

    We asked Charles Sabba, a police officer in New Jersey, expert in the
commerce of illegal archeological artifacts and who already for five
years has denounced in our newspaper the illicit activities of some
American museums, why the Getty wanted at all costs to buy artworks
without being sure of the provenance.

    "Because they had a ton of money at their disposal and had to fill the
rooms of their museum, they had to do business. They don't want to
restitute the Lisippo or the Venus of Morgantina because they are
hoping to cut their losses in half, attaching the false excuse that
the two works were discovered in international waters".

    Sabba, who has deeply cared in his heart for years about this problem,
has written a letter to the president of the Italian American Police
Society of New Jersey to ask for their disponibility in supporting the
carabinieri, through an official condemnation of the Getty Museum and
their criminal actions.

    "But what international waters" Alessandrini repeats to me. "The
fisherman that found the bronze is my acquaintance,  I am also from
Fano and I know all of them who have seen the statue. The bronze had
been found in Italian waters. if the Getty restituted all of the art
that belongs to Italy it would have to close".

    Peter Watson the journalist who writes of scandals, lights, and
shadows in the art market, along with Cecilia Todeschini, has
published recently the book, "The Medici Conspiracy" (Public Affairs,
2006). After working attentively researching amongst the documents,
archives and collaborating with the Italian archeologists and
investigative unit, Watson unmasks all in a series of illicit facts,
names, and surnames, of all of those who became millionaires by
manipulating the art market.

    The investigative book starts by underlining how the Italians realized
the gravity of these facts and started to claim all that belongs to
Italy. Watson talks about the Etruscan civilization and how their
tombs were disfigured by what he calls "la cordata" a group of
criminals amongst whom are Hecht, Medici, Symes, and others. This all
surfaced thanks to the meticulous work of the archeologists who were
given access to Giacomo Medici's archives. Their research permitted
them to date the vases and various artifacts back to the so called
tombaroli who stole them.

    Watson's book was presented a few days ago in New York by SAFE (Saving
Antiquities For Everyone) , an American non-profit organization that
was established a few years ago and is sensitive to the problem of the
commerce in illegal works of antiquity.

    This week's anticipated visit in New York by Minister Rutelli will be
without a doubt an occasion to recuperate the dialogue with the
various American institutions, even if the Minister makes clearthrough
his last declarations that there is no more space for cunning or
talking in circles. << The situation has changed, today it is no
longer acceptable for a large museum to exhibit works that are
obviously stolen. The restitutions that we are requesting from the
Getty Museum are only a small part of the problem. There are other
works that are not part of those 52 which we have already asked for to
be returned and can possibly have an irregular provenance, of which we
are reserving an assessment>>. At this point, there has been a new
counter reply by Michael Brand, director of the Getty: << Available
for reopening of the negotiations with the Ministry. In regards to the
Athlete of Fano, emotions can not have the best in respect to the
substantial evidence that confirms the ownership of the statue that
belongs to the Getty, including the fact that this statue was found in
international waters in 1964>>. We attempted to contact the Getty's
press office, the answering machine responded saying "the office is
closed for the observance of the Thanksgiving holiday". Buon Tacchino.



America Oggi/ Oggi7

New York