Why Stealing Art Is a Really Bad Idea

— THE BIG STORY — 

Attention, would-be art thieves: don't do it! Art crime doesn't pay, since you'll never be able to resell the hot work, and the whole sordid situation will just lead you down any number of dismal paths. As an object lesson, take the story of Radu Dogaru.

This week, that young Romanian man attracted worldwide attention when the audacious heist he and two others pulled at Rotterdam's Kunsthal museum went up in flames. The theft was committed early in the morning on October 16 when the trio smashed through a rear emergency exit at the Dutch institution and made off with seven paintings by Picasso, Monet, Matisse, Gauguin, Lucian Freud, and Meyer de Haan—a haul with an estimated value of tens of millions of dollars. Some time after allegedly taking two of these pieces to be "evaluated" by a curator a the Romanian National Art Museum, Dogaru and his confederates were arrested. This is when the true drama began.

Once Olga Dogaru, the thief's mother, heard of his arrest, she buried the seven stolen paintings in a graveyard—a move that would have immediately degraded their condition. Then, fearing that the authorities still might unearth them, giving them evidence against her son, she placed them in an oven and burned them. That, at least, is the story Olga has told investigators, who have asked scientists at Romania's National History Museum to conduct forensic tests on the ashes to determine if her account is true. It may be months before conclusive results are in.

The burning of the paintings would be "a barbarian crime against humanity," the National History Museum's director, Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu, told the New York Times. Well, that might be a little over the top. But think of the poor mother, whose love of her ne'er-do-well son led her to destroy a fortune in masterful artworks in a vain attempt to save him! Don't do that to your mom. Don't steal art. — Andrew M. Goldstein

— QUOTE OF THE WEEK — 

“I thought the Minimalists were interesting, but I would get pissed at them for washing themselves of all emotion, including sexuality. They were so even and almost inhuman. It almost felt that because you couldn’t see or feel much vulnerability in their work — that you almost felt as though they had a kind of key to the truth.” — Artist Ursula von Rydingsvardin a sprawling profile by Julia Halperin about her robust sculptures, the gentrification of Bushwick, and the nuances of the growing art economy. 

— MUST READ —

An Inspiring True Art Story — Facing steep budget cuts amid a government-wide push for austerity, Britain's Culture Secretary Maria Miller was able to argue for only a minor funding reduction using a savvy and compelling argument that won over conservatives: the arts are a proven economic driver. (Atlantic) 

Watch a Video of Thomas Hirschhorn and Hal Foster Talking — The artist and the art historian were joined by scholar Lisa Lee in their talk at Artists Space. (Artists Space)

Weekly James Franco Update — The actor/artist curated a volume of actor Dennis Hopper's photographs for for Le Book that costs $250. (Artinfo)

At the Movies With Marcel Dzama — The artist shares his ten favorite movies in the Criterion Collection in an eclectic list that includes everything from Buñuel to film noir. (Criterion)

Picasso, Monet Paintings Go up in Smoke — The mother of a Romanian art thief has confessed to burning $130 million-worth of art by Picasso, Monet, and Lucien Freud. (ArtDaily) 

The Rise of Gavin Brown — W Magazine's extensive profile of the art entrepreneur details how his enterprise was built and tells all about Brown's new project with Rikrit Tiravanija. (W Magazine)

Banned Matisse Interview to Be Published — The Getty will publish a previously unreleased 1941 interview with the Modernist painter that is over 300 pages long. (Artinfo)

Francis Alÿs, the Optimist — Alÿs discusses his long career and REEL-UNREEL, a film that was the subject of an exhibition earlier this year at David Zwirner. (ARTnews)

Academics Censor Damien Hirst Photograph — Thirty-two years after it was shot, Hirst's shocking photograph With Dead Head—in which the artist smiles gleefully next to the severed head of a corpse—continues to provoke outrage, this time among academics at Leicester University. (Guardian)

See 20 Instagrams of Rappers Loving Art — Complex magazine continues its wall-to-wall coverage of the burgeoning art-hip-hop nexus with this fun slide show, which features such gems as a photo Nas took of the Mona Lisa. (Complex)

"Must Be Summer at the Warhol" — That's the deceptively sweet slogan attached to Marc USA's provocative ad campaign for the Warhol Museum's three summer exhibitions, containing edgy imagery and a “sense of dark humor” that museum director Eric Shiner says “will play well to the Pittsburgh audience." (NYT)

— ART MARKET —

Is Mayfair the New Chelsea? — The posh London neighborhood has been drawing the biggest New York galleries, with now Marian Goodman considering joining David Zwirner, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and Michael Werner in opening satellites there. (NYT)

Krugier Trove Heads to Christie's — The auction house has scored another coup in its rivalry with Sotheby's by landing the estate of venerated Swiss art dealer Jan Krugier, which will bring a body of work to New York salesroom in November that is expected to fetch some $175 million. (NYT)

Jay-Z's Imaginary "Picasso Baby" Collection Valued at $493 Million — This might be petty or academic to say, but this Forbes contributor who for some reason used auction records for Picasso, Rothko, Koons, and others to value the art the rapper namechecks in his new song/performative video could have benefitted from a better methodology. (Forbes)

Christie's Expands Into India — The auction house will hold its first sale in Mumbai in December. (Forbes)

Asian Art Market Asserts Its Own Identity — As Asian collectors take more risks, a new art market begins to appear that is "determined to assert its own tastes and preferences, with no regard for what some would call western diktats." (Guardian)

— IN & OUT —

Bonnie Clearwater is leaving MOCA North Miami to become the director of Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale. (Art in America)

The National Academy has inducted 17 artists to its august ranks, includingMarina Abramovic, Mark Bradford, James Rosenquist, and Christian Marclay are among the new members. (Artinfo)