Subscribe
Search
ePaper
Newsletters
Subscribe
ePaper
Newsletters
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Search
Law
news

American Airlines and seven others sued over damage to Lucio Fontana sculpture

Concetto Spaziale was being shipped from France to the Armory Show in New York last year

Anny Shaw
16 February 2016
Share

American Airlines, along with seven other art handling companies, has been accused in a federal complaint of damaging a slash sculpture by Lucio Fontana while it was shipped from Paris to the Armory Show in New York last year. Lloyd’s of London, who insured the work for the Beverly Hills gallery Marc Selwyn Fine Art, filed the claim in a New York court on 11 February, citing breach of contract and negligence.

Elite Systematic Arts and MainFreight in the US; CDG Handling, ARC Transport, World Freight and Socièté Nouvelle Cornu Emballeurs in France; and Kraft ELS AG in Switzerland are named as the other co-defendants. None could be reached for comment.

On 13 February 2015, the Swiss art trading company AGB Contemporary AG consigned Concetto Spaziale (1955-60) to Marc Selwyn with a sale price of €175,000 ($196,000), according to the legal complaint. The work was being stored by World Freight on the outskirts of Paris when it was packaged for travel and left Charles de Gaulle airport for JFK in New York on around 24 February. A week later, the sculpture was transported to the Armory Show where it was unwrapped and found to be damaged, the complaint says.

Lloyd’s paid Marc Selwyn Fine Art $104,250 to cover the insurance money due, and is now seeking to recover $116,000 in damages as well as legal fees.

LawArt fairsArt marketContemporary artArtists
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Data protection
Privacy policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscription T&Cs
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
© The Art Newspaper