May 2023 by Laurens Kasteleijn for Art Law Services
Spring is a bustling time for art lawyers, as they navigate between art fairs, auctions, museum shows, and industry conferences around the world. As countries gradually reopen their doors to visitors, it becomes evident once again how truly international the art world is.
I had the privilege of being invited to speak about digital art at the IPBA annual conference in Dubai, seizing the opportunity to visit the renowned Louvre in Abu Dhabi.
No spring is complete without a visit to TEFAF in Maastricht. This year, I had the pleasure of guiding a select group of young collectors through the Asian fine art stands at the fair. Feel free to check out our TEFAF vetting article online for more details.
During HK art week, I traveled to Hong Kong and explored the Art Basel and Art Central fairs, along with various other events.
A highlight was the remarkable collection of contemporary art at the M+ museum.
Back in our Amsterdam offices, our interns Lucy Grenfell and Clara Annani dedicated themselves to learning about art law and the business of art.
Amsterdam also hosted the highly anticipated Vermeer show at the Rijksmuseum. As members of the Royal Asian Art Society, we were granted early access to this spectacular exhibition.
As the chair of the Art Law Society in the Netherlands, I organized a spring lecture focusing on the latest policy report regarding the return of colonial cultural property. You can find more information in our article. Among the numerous restitution requests filed within the European museum sector, the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam will be investigating the acquisition history of approximately 19,000 objects in its archaeological collections, many of which lack proper provenance documentation.
Speaking of lecturing, I had the pleasure of teaching three engaging lectures on the international art world and legal matters for Christie's Education in Hong Kong. The eager group of students, mostly from Mainland China, made the experience truly enjoyable.
Now with the start of Amsterdam Art Week, on to summer!