Seizure of 143 fake works by Warhol, Haring and Banksy at exhibition in Reggio Calabria

Carabinieri from the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit in Cosenza have seized 143 works of art believed to be fake, attributed to Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Banksy. The operation is part of an investigation coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Reggio Calabria and concerns works displayed in the exhibition Pop to Street Art: Influences, held between July 20, 2024 and Jan. 5, 2025 in three cultural venues in downtown Reggio Calabria: theAcademy of Fine Arts, the House of Culture “P. Crupi” and the National Archaeological Museum.

The evidentiary seizure initially involved 133 works, to which were added another 10 specimens identified in Liege, Belgium, during searches carried out as part of an international judicial assistance procedure activated by the Italian authority. During the same activities, an additional 11 works attributed to the same artists were found, which are currently being investigated by the Belgian judicial authorities, as they have similar characteristics to those already considered counterfeits.

The works on display included paintings, graphics, and some sculptures and appeared to have been loaned to the Academy of Fine Arts of Reggio Calabria by a Belgian company, which had presented them as authentic. The contract stipulated a fee of 50,000 euros, in addition to the possibility of additional revenues from ticket sales and promotional material related to the event. The investigations conducted by the Cosenza TPC Unit, including through scientific analysis, revealed the absolute falsity of the seized works. In numerous cases, according to the findings, the counterfeiting is evident and carried out in a manner considered crude.

The investigations involved three Belgian nationals and three companies traceable to them. Two of them had already been placed on the register of suspects after the first seizure in Reggio Calabria, including the owner of the company that had supplied the works for the exhibition. Investigative developments also led to the identification of the involvement of a third person.

According to investigators, the picture that emerged would outline the existence of an organized system dedicated to the serial production of forgeries attributed to leading exponents of Pop Art and street art. The aim would have been to organize exhibitions and exhibition events in several European countries, including Italy, profiting and misleading the public about the authenticity of the works. The proceedings are at the preliminary investigation stage. The principle of presumption of innocence remains valid for the suspects until any final determination of responsibility.

Seizure of 143 fake works by Warhol, Haring and Banksy at exhibition in Reggio Calabria

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