Italian Authorities Seize 21 Suspected Forged Dalí Artworks

Italian authorities have taken action against an exhibition in Parma, seizing 21 artworks allegedly falsely attributed to renowned Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí. The exhibition, titled "Dalí Between Art and Myth," had only been open for a few days at Palazzo Tarasconi before police intervened to confiscate the suspected forgeries, which included drawings, tapestries, and engravings. Concerns about the authenticity of the pieces first arose in January when officers from the Rome Carabinieri art squad conducted a routine inspection of the exhibition while it was held at the Museo Storico della Fanteria. Diego Poglio, the senior officer leading the investigation, shared with The Guardian, "During the inspection, something seemed to be amiss. We noticed that only lithographs, posters, and drawings by Dalí were on display, along with a few statues and other objects, but no paintings or anything of importance. It was difficult to understand why someone would want to organize an exhibition of such low-value works." These doubts prompted a further inquiry with the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation, based in Figueres, Catalonia. According to Poglio, the foundation revealed that it had never been contacted by the exhibition's organizers, which raised significant alarms. "We found this absolutely strange because if you want to organize an exhibition of an artist's works, especially such an important one, you can't not go through the foundation that manages the collection," Poglio remarked. Following the revelation, the police shared photographs of the artworks in question with the foundation. Experts from the foundation agreed that there were inconsistencies worthy of investigation, which led Rome prosecutors to order the confiscation of the 21 artworks. Poglio emphasized that this is only the initial phase of the investigation, and at this stage, no one has been implicated in any wrongdoing. Italy's art police have been increasingly active in addressing the rising issue of forgeries of works by famous artists. Poglio noted this trend, stating, "We're seeing a significant presence of fakes in the market, especially in contemporary art. It is a global phenomenon." In February, Italian police uncovered a secret workshop in Rome where forgeries of paintings by Picasso and Rembrandt were being produced and sold online. This development followed the dismantling of a Europe-wide forgery network responsible for creating replicas of works by contemporary artists such as Banksy, Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Gustav Klimt. Typically, many of these forgeries are only uncovered when displayed in prominent museums. According to Poglio, "Many of those behind the exhibitions act in good faith. That being said, we must always be careful; those in charge of the scientific curation must always conduct thorough checks on authenticity before displaying the works." As investigations continue, the art world watches closely, hoping to prevent further incidents of forgery and ensure that the legacies of celebrated artists like Dalí remain protected. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2