Secure Arts Storage?

The NY Times is running a short post on a Christie's warehouse in London and a stolen piece which was being stored by the artist.  The artist, Douglas Gordon believes the piece will not be recovered as it was probably melted for its gold content.  The piece was worth about $400,000.00.

The rather disturbing aspect is that, according to the article, Christie's did not immediately inform the owner of the loss.  Gordon states that Christie's took two weeks before notifying him.  Christie's reps say the situation is under investigation and did not comment in further.

As the article points out, the embarrassing aspect is that Christie's has been promoting its secure storage facilities to collectors.  This cant help.

The NY Times reports

A solid gold sculpture by the British artist Douglas Gordon, a winner of the Turner Prize, was stolen from a Christie’s warehouse in London, the British newspaper The Guardian reported. “I don’t think this is an art theft,” Mr. Gordon said. “I’m pretty sure it has been melted down.” The gold used in his work, “Left Hand and Right Hand Have Left One Another,” was worth about 250,000 pounds ($400,000), he said. The piece was insured for twice that amount.

What has further riled Mr. Gordon, however, is that Christie’s did not tell him about the theft until two weeks after it occurred. “It is like someone borrowing your car, and then you finding out from a neighbor that it has been crashed,” he said. “It looks like I am the last person to know.” A Christie’s spokesman said: “This matter is under investigation and we are in contact with all parties involved. We cannot comment further.”

The theft is an embarrassment for Christie’s, which boasts of its storage facility’s “world-class security, management and expertise.”

Source: The NY Times