R.K. - Fine Art Solutions led a capacity-building seminar at the French corporate counsel association

In October 2022, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a seminar with art lawyer Cyrielle Gauvin at the French corporate counsel association ACE (Avocats conseils d’entreprise) entitled "The legal framework of the conservation profession: what about field realities?". 

This capacity-building event aimed to help art lawyers understand the difference between the legal aspects involving French conservators and the reality of the profession. It also included an overview of how conservators view their work and their ethical and legal responsibilities.

I was also able to touch upon the less-discussed aspect in contemporary art of who owns the artwork and who has a final say in the work that can be done, depending on whose viewpoint it is: the collector or the artist. Whether the artist is living or has passed away but left clear instructions regarding how they wish their work to be conserved.

The ensuing exchanges with the online and in-person participants opened the door to further talks on the international aspects of conservation and a conservator's job. Amongst them was how, while there is a single universally accepted code of ethics, specificities regarding the actual work may vary according to different cultures.

Conservation Treatments and Reports as an Integral Part of Provenance Research

I’m honoured to have been invited to contribute to Flynn & Giovanni's The Provenance Research Blog.

Conservation treatments and their reports, which include condition reports, are an important yet underused asset in provenance research. As written and photographic witnesses to the state of an artwork at a specific point in time, including details on any damages, changes, place(s) of conservation, and history of the piece, these reports are an essential part of research.

You can read the full article here.

Renata Kaminker - Fine Art Solutions was once more invited by Sotheby's Institute of Art to lecture at one of its London courses

It was a pleasure to have been invited back as a lecturer at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, this time for the MA on Art Logistics, as well as an honour to have been part of the creation of the MA exam on Art Law. With over 15 years of experience in the field, it is always enjoyable to see the future generation of art professionals’ interest regarding all the legal and ethical issues faced by the market.

The lectures given were: “Legal and Ethical Issues: Conservation and Restoration” and “Art Restitution”. Students were thus introduced to the different codes of ethics that rule a conservator’s work, conservation’s legal and normative framework (at an international level, but also in France and the UK), and the importance of conservation treatments when researching collections.

We also discussed issues regarding the restitution of art and antiquities, and the class was able to use the knowledge it acquired on this issue from other art law lectures when discussing specific case studies.

I look forward to coming back to Sotheby’s Institute of Art for future exchanges and discussions, and to meet further new professionals as they prepare for a changing and ever-developing industry.

Renata Kaminker - Fine Art Solutions attends the joint Fieldfisher-Vastari seminar on art businesses under criminal investigation

I was delighted to attend the seminar jointly organized by Fieldfisher and Vastari on businesses under criminal investigation

The seminar, aimed at art dealers, galleries and intermediaries working with collectors in art transactions, focused on the UK’s Anti-Money Laundering Directives 5 and 6, as well as other practical issues such as:

• What happens when law enforcement agencies investigate a person or business

• Criminal tax investigations

• Protecting data versus handing over material to law enforcement

• Dealing with International Enforcement Agencies

• Sanctions

 It was a pleasure to participate in such an interesting event and hear from experts in the field.

#throwbackthursday Project management of ICOM’s Red Lists of Cultural Objects at Risk

Over the course of several years, I was in charge of managing ICOM’s Red Lists of Cultural Objects at Risk. Ispecifically worked on the Emergency Red Lists for Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Libya, and the Mali section in the West African list, as well as the regular Red List for the Dominican Republic.

I also monitored and reported on emergency situations for museums and cultural heritage sites for ICOM and the International Committee of the Blue Shield, and training of museum professionals on fighting illicit trafficking of cultural goods, collections inventory, and emergency situations.

Projects were finished on or ahead of schedule, and under budget. This allowed for the remaining funds to be invested in new Red Lists as the demanded required them. It was an honor to work on these long-lasting tools dedicated to fighting illicit trafficking of cultural goods around the world, and specifically in conflict areas.

The success of the Watch Lists was illustrated by the request of the US Blue Shield Committee to have a list drawn for Libya, to be given to NATO before the air strike. The result was that extensive site damage was avoided, thanks to NATO having their exact coordinates.