Summary
Italian police have dismantled a large pan-European forgery ring producing fake artworks attributed to renowned artists, including Banksy, Picasso, and Warhol.
Thirty-eight individuals across Italy, Spain, France, and Belgium are under investigation for handling stolen goods, forgery, and illegal art sales.
Authorities seized over 2,100 counterfeit pieces valued at €200 million and uncovered six forgery workshops.
The investigation began in 2023 after fake works were found in a businessman’s collection, leading to discoveries of forgeries sold in auction houses and linked to organized exhibitions.
How do we know the Banksy is a forgery? Isn’t his identity “unknown”? What if he just had an off day a worse version of one of his previous works?
Banksy has official proxies they use to communicate with the press.
Officially unknown, yeah, but the main suspect denies it’s him. What’s interesting is that the way he denied it (“We are all Banksy”) could mean everyone or just him and his closest associates in a collective, giving any one of them, including him, the ability to deny it.
Also who cares?
The inflated art market is a great tool for money laundering and tax evasion. There is a lot of people with a lot of money who care.