Art: The persistent lack of transparency

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Le Temps, 12.06.2010

Samuel Schellenberg

In my opinion, I translated for the forum article on the transformation of free zones in Switzerland. In an article that I put now, explains that this transformation has not resulted and could not lead to desired results - improvement of the art market.

Next week called the most important art fairs in the world - Art Basel.
Being able to see many works, confident in the good condition of the market, which said that he was facing a crisis, as well as drink vintage champagne. Traditionally, before closing yarmirki organizers spread pretty communiqué Pestryaev adjectives in the superlative degree, gallery owners and quotes can be like last year, and the phrase that "throughout the week of the fair, sales were surprisingly numerous. Those who would like to know more, pass by: Fair does not give any figures. However, the organizers of the fair and do not have accurate data on the earnings of participants: each gallery is free to transmit or not information about their razultatah week.

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The situation is Art Basel's no different from others: as in Switzerland and abroad is the lack of transparency is a constant feature of the art market. It is usually due to too plausible reasons: it satisfied all the actors - and Marchand, and collectors, and artists. But Switzerland is, as the historian Sebastian Gay, became in the twentieth century, international trade center of art, not only because of this artistic haze okkutyvayuschey deal on the art market: its policy of neutrality during both World War II helped her to buy and then resell at a very favorable conditions, a huge number of works of art, whose prices for the past fifty years undersold world records. And free from customs duties zones located on all four corners of the country, helped her to stay at his place leading the world trade in illegally acquired works of art. Goods imported to Switzerland and stored in these areas are not inspected by customs officers, in anticipation reeksporta. Officials from Bern corrected us: "This was before!" - Thanks to a new Customs Act, passed last year, and that owners of warehouses in free zones keep detailed lists of "sensitive products" (works of art, antiques, jewelry ...) free zone Are subject to finally become law.
But is it? You can doubt this. Due to staff reductions customs are not able to effectively monitor the movement of goods giant (for example, in Geneva), Free Zones: multiple clients lease there is a huge space and store goods in them, much of which is "sensitive." And when the federal authorities boast that since 2005 have been implemented "400 operations to verify stored there cultural values" and wants to ask them: "Only 400?". Switzerland should make efforts to ensure that the situation has indeed changed.