Art Crime

As a multi-billion-pound industry, criminal activity within the art world assumes a range of forms, from the widespread deception achieved through the creation of fakes and forgeries, through to more subtle incarnations/instances of ownership guises of looted antiquities and money laundering. As a threat to our collective cultural identity, the subject of art crime requires further investigation to understand its preconditions, processes and consequences; all of which will be analyzed in depth throughout this program.

The first half of the program examine the broader context of art crime by identifying and defining the range of illegal activities that contribute to this unique phenomenon. By approaching the topic from both theoretical and practical perspectives, case studies will be used to explore the subjects of fakes, forgeries and thefts. This will include contributions from a celebrated art forger and the world’s leading art detective. The second half of the program considers the challenges and complexities involved with cultural repatriation and restitution, and explores legal, ethical and technological approaches to mitigating or preventing current and future criminal activity within the cultural sector.

Students Will Learn

• To identify the various identities of criminal activity within the international art market.
• To build the practical knowledge required to identify and evaluate criminal activity within the art market from legal and ethical perspectives.
• To become familiar with the relevant tools and resources available to research and evaluate the movement and transaction of cultural objects.
• To understand the necessity and associated methodological approaches in conducting due diligence for cultural objects.