Droit de suite working somewhat / Egypt gets tough (Friday 6 July 2007)
compiled by Rachel Simmons
Hostilities over droit de suite scheme ease
According to the Irish Times, last week marks the first anniversary of the introduction of the droit de suite artists' resale royalty scheme. Last year when it was first introduced, initial response to the scheme from auctioneers and art dealers was "obstructive," and the Irish Visual Artists Rights Organisation (IVARO) only received one payment in the first six months. According to IVARO, they felt they were being stalled, as applications were either ignored or met with requests for proof of entitlement, such as copies of passports or artists' utilities bills. But earlier this year, IVARO held several face-to-face meetings with auction houses, during which attitudes towards the scheme seemed to be changing; IVARO has now received 32,000 of the 89,000 it applied for and expects to receive several more large sums within the next few weeks. They are also determined to start pursuing payment more forcefully – they are willing to litigate if necessary – in the few cases where the response has not changed.
Helpfully, IVARO also recently forged a reciprocal agreement with UK collecting agency DACS. Formerly, as there is "compulsory management of droit de suite in the UK, a number of Irish artists joined DACS in order to collect their UK royalties." But now, this is no longer necessary; as a result of the new relationship with DACS, it can be done with IVARO at no extra administration cost for the artists, just the usual 15 percent administration fee IVARO charges its members .
This year, according to IVARO, a total of 772 works by 116 artists were sold at auction for more than 3,000 euro, which is the threshold for the levy. Total qualifying sales amounted to 10.6 million euro, with royalties incurred for 354,000 euro. The IVARO members who have earned the highest royalties over this past year are Basil Blackshaw (7,500 euro), John Shinnors (4,600 euro), Sean Scully (3,500 euro), Sean McSweeney (2,700 euro), and Robert Ballagh (2,700 euro). But the highest percentage of the 10.6 million euro total was earned by a non-member artist, Louis le Brocquy; le Brocquy works raised some 4.6 million euro this past year, accruing royalties of 113,370 euro.
Egyptian government puts in formal requests for return of artifacts
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| The massive Rosetta Stone, in its current location at the British Museum, image held here. |
Last month, a letter was sent by Dr. Zahi Hawass to London formally requesting a loan of the Rosetta Stone. Hawass is the head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the request is to borrow the Stone for a three-month period in 2012, for the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, currently being built near the Pyramids. This is the first formal request for the return of the Rosetta Stone, which means that Britain will no longer be able to ignore questions about the Stone's rightful place. The British Museum has to put into consideration conservation and the risk of moving the 1,680 pound stone, but also, that the Stone is one of – if not the most – popular items at the British Museum. No doubt the Museum will also be concerned that if they do lend the Stone to Egypt, it might not be returned easily. This development is just the latest in the ongoing debate over whether or not objects such as the Rosetta Stone should be returned to their country of origin, as pieces of the countries' heritage and histories. But for many museums, as is the case for the British Museum, their collections would be nearly wiped out if all of their pieces were returned. One wonders if it is a case of holding on to the last glorious bit of Empire, or if they truly believe the pieces are better off where they are.
Hawass has also put in requests for loans of five Egyptian masterpieces from international museum, which are the bust of Nefertiti, currently at the Berlin Museums, the Dendera zodiac ceiling at the Louvre, the bust of Hemiunu, builder of the Great Pyramid, held at Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim, Germany, and the statue of Ankhaf, builder of the Khafre Pyramid, at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He promises a guarantee of safe returns if the loans are granted, but as the Berlin Museum is already digging their heels in about the Nefertiti bust, Hawass has warned them that if they refuse the loan, they will "fight to bring back this bust for good."
In related news, the Greeks wish the return of the Parthenon marbles to Athens, which are also currently at the British Museum and there is a debate emerging over a collection of Incan pottery in the Yale collection, originally from Machu Piccu. Also, the Chinese government has requested a ban in the United States on imports of all Chinese artifacts made before 1911, a request that has been under review in the State Department for over two years. According to the New York Times, generally, artifacts that reside in museums around the world, whether it be in the US, Europe or Asia, came to be there during times when their original countries' governments were either weak or in control of another, as is the case with the British, and their countries' would not have been able to protect their cultural heritage the same way that are attempting now. In general, there is widespread opinion on the matters, with some believing it to be too "ethnocentric" to desire all of your country's artifacts in one place, and with others believing the artifacts have a rightful place in their countries and cultures of origin.
Sources: http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article01.asp?id=668; http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/magazine/24MachuPicchu-t.html
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