Streaming with closed captions
Big Ideas presented by Scotia Wealth Management: Hear from notable subjects and experts on issues featured in the film..
A live webinar took place on Tuesday, June 9. The recorded webinar is available on YouTube.
About the webinar
Join us for a fascinating look at the big business of art fraud, the art of the con and why we fall for it with Maria Konnikova, author, The Confidence Game; Don Thompson, author, The Orange Balloon Dog: Bubbles, Turmoil and Avarice in the Contemporary Art Market; Patricia Cohen, reporter, The New York Times; and Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art director Barry Avrich.
About the film
Established in 1846, New York City’s Knoedler & Company was one of the most respected art galleries in the USA, selling masterpieces by the world’s most sought-after artists. By 2011, that reputation was severely tarnished and the establishment in ruins. Rumours and accusations surrounding Knoedler’s transactions of fraudulent modern artwork decimated the gallery and its high-profile president Ann Freedman. Millionaires keen to build their prestigious personal collections instead ended up with impressive forgeries imitating Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Robert Motherwell, all painted by one man in a Queens garage. The abstract masterpieces at the centre of this controversy are merely commodities to be acquired and traded by an elitist culture ripe for exploitation. The elaborate con artist scheme and the outrage that followed makes for an entertaining true crime drama, where everyone is willing to share their side of the story, but no one takes responsibility for their actions. Alexander Rogalski
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