Judgment against Achenbach – fire on an overheated place – Süddeutsche.de

The Retailer Achenbach may have believed to have damaged only the heirs of Aldi. What a mistake. People like him harm museums and the public. The six-year sentence for the scammers are correct.

Comment by Kia Vahland

Six-year sentence that is the art consultant Helge Achenbach will have to compete – that he cheated wealthy art collectors in the purchase of works by many millions of euros. The judgment of the district court food that remains just below the demand of the prosecution is appropriate. For it is the delusion is a limit, the art market is moving beyond all social rules.

Still in the final stages of the process was the attorney Achenbach appeased, no one had been hurt, and the Aldi heritage Berthold Albrecht I also can afford the exorbitant sums Achenbach under cheered him on compromised accounts. He uses a common opinion: It did not hit the wrong

Germany but is not Robin Hood country, even large fortunes are protected in a state of law.. Plus, the Achenbach System met very well be the wrong people, namely the artist. Because by falsifying the prices of paintings and the resulting difference between purchase and sale prices pocketed in addition to his commission, art consultant fire has put in an already overheated market.

Malicious influence private money

It is not good when the prices of art soar. Then public museums can no longer afford purchases – and get even more tempted to make questionable deals with people like Achenbach. The mediated museum directors donations to favors such as access to executors. And he made for increasing the value of private art collections by museums endowed with loans.

judgment in Food – Six-year sentence for art dealers Achenbach

But if it is in the museum more private money goes as to quality, it is not the best are issued, but the best Verkäuflichsten.

It harms the art if their prices fixed without any quality criteria be. A bloated dog sculpture by the American Jeff Koons costs more than 58 million – if, however, nor anyone interested in a hundred years for the simple glossy imagery of Koons is so not say

But: A price not signaled. merely material, but also sentimental value. He is successful without artistic judgment, then canonized works that are perhaps typical of our time, but do not help to understand them. So that art loses its expression and significance. And if many consultants many tighten in matters of art inexperienced collectors overpriced works and then even museum people bezirzen (or equal to own museums set), then the audience can no longer rely on to experience the museum Relevant.

Art in democratic societies is not primarily for the representational needs of a few there, as was the case at the time of the princes. But it serves the self-localization of a society. But they must be protected against manipulators and deceivers.