In the Dark, All Art Dealers Are Grey: Discretion and Rationalisation in the Munch Art Market

Abstract

In high demand among collectors worldwide, the art of expressionist painter Edvard Munch has been the object of numerous criminal incidents. This article examines to what extent these crimes have had any regulatory effect on contemporary trade in Munch’s work and what precautionary measures Norwegian dealers take to prevent illicit art from entering the market. Consistent with a grey market paradigm, interviews with art dealers indicate that the trade in Munch has become tainted with risk due to the presence of many unprovenanced works in the market, yet most art dealers have narrow, preconceived ideas of the ‘typical’ art crime offender. Interested parties would not expect questions of provenance to be answered, so they do not ask, and social relationships are used to excuse a lack of due diligence, conveniently allowing the industry to thrive.

Tokenization and Regulatory Compliance for Art and Collectibles Markets: From Regulators’ Demands for Transparency to Investors’ Demands for Privacy

“…It enables investors to barter for the best deals, and it allows intermediaries, firstly, to protect key clients from competitors, and, secondly, to capitalize on research and insights about a given artefact and its market value to determine a margin between the acquisition price and the sale price. Private, interpersonal relationships and discretion are thus the heart and soul of the art market, not publicly viewable identity information and due diligence checks (Day, 2014;Runhovde, 2021). The tension is palpable.…”

Using Civil Law Approaches to Hate Crimes in the United States for Illicit Antiquities and Fine Art Cases

“…While a black market for illicit works of art and antiquity certainly exists, the legitimate art market operates as a gray market, rather than white, as stolen art, illicit antiquities, and forgeries may all be purchased (sometimes genuinely unwittingly) alongside authentic and legal objects (Bowman, 2008;Mackenzie, 2011;Runhovde, 2020). Much of the value of fine art derives from intangible elements related to market forces, the interpretation of creativity and ingenuity, as well as desirability of its manifestation (Vickery, 2006).…”

Knowing Is Better Than Wondering. The Cataloging of Natural Heritage between Museum Studies and Forensic Sciences

“…In this regard, Brisman [40] argued how the thefts of art objects and the vandalism of works of art affected not only the memory and the values of these cultural items but also the perception and the experience of a museum tour after such criminal events. On this topic, Runhovde [41]) discussed the oversecuritization of the Munch Museum and how these policy changes affected the museum experience, which was previously focused on accessibility and art mediation, of both visitors and staff after the Edvard Munch's artworks have been the target of numerous criminal incidents [42]. Art museums are also involved in the lively debate on displaying historic objects realized from endangered animal species, such as ivory artworks (e.g., [43]).…”