Florida museum chief tried to make millions from exhibition of fake Basquiat art

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BidenPresident

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Trustees of a Florida art gallery are suing its former director, claiming he conspired to cash in on the exhibition and sale of fake paintings purportedly by the neo-expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Aaron De Groft hoped to pocket tens of millions of dollars in commissions from auction of the works after “legitimizing” them during a 2022 show he arranged at the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA).

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/16/basquiat-fakes-florida-man-lawsuit

Trump, Desantis, Art. All frauds in Florida.
 
Orlando Museum Accuses Ex-Leader of Seeking Profit From Fake Basquiats

The Orlando Museum of Art filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing its former director of seeking to profit from a scheme to show fake paintings that the museum had exhibited as newly discovered works by the celebrated artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, saying that the owners of the paintings had promised him “a significant cut of the proceeds” from their eventual sale.

The lawsuit also named five co-owners of those paintings who were said to have enlisted the former museum leader, Aaron De Groft, in a plan that lawyers said would advance “his own economic and personal interests” by leveraging the museum’s reputation to legitimize the fraudulent paintings and increase their value. De Groft has denied wrongdoing.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/15/arts/design/fake-basquiats-orlando-lawsuit.html
 
Tinkerpeach said:
Sounds like he is guilty.

Sentence him to the extent of the law.
Click to expand...

Looks like deliberate fraud.

The filing includes a 2022 email that it says De Groft sent to the owner of a Titian, set to be exhibited at O.M.A., in which he wrote:

New York Times and Forbes here on Wednesday. This is all part of the plan of exhibiting and selling masterpieces. You all could not to do this without me. Face it. If we sell thii or s $100 million I need 30 percent. I have a high end LA lAwyer who I I worki f with to sell these $200 million BasquiIats and another $200 million Pollock. I can do this [redacted] You boys need to o P sun up for my expertise and access. I know you will do th math. One more dollar than the day before is a good. Let’s not get greedy. Let me sell these Basquiats and Pollock and then Titian is up next with a track record. Then I will retire with mazeratis and Ferraris.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/16/basquiat-fakes-florida-man-lawsuit
 
BidenPresident said:
The Orlando Museum of Art filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing its former director of seeking to profit from a scheme to show fake paintings that the museum had exhibited as newly discovered works by the celebrated artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, saying that the owners of the paintings had promised him “a significant cut of the proceeds” from their eventual sale.

The lawsuit also named five co-owners of those paintings who were said to have enlisted the former museum leader, Aaron De Groft, in a plan that lawyers said would advance “his own economic and personal interests” by leveraging the museum’s reputation to legitimize the fraudulent paintings and increase their value. De Groft has denied wrongdoing.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/15/arts/design/fake-basquiats-orlando-lawsuit.html
Click to expand...

Who cares?
 
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