Author Archives: Alexander Herman

About Alexander Herman

Alexander is Director of the Institute of Art and Law. You can find him on Twitter @artlawalex and on LinkedIn. His two books 'The Parthenon Marbles Dispute – Heritage, Law Politics' and 'Restitution – The Return of Cultural Artefacts' are out now.

Sydney and Auckland ARC conference recap

Posted on: April 12, 2016 by Alexander Herman

I was lucky enough to attend the Australasian Registrars Committee annual conference last month, a two-part affair taking place in Sydney on 18th March and Auckland on 21st March, in order to present a paper on museums, mass digitisation and copyright. The events were held at two stunning locations: Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art on Circular Quay between the Harbour […]

New photo from Stik street art presentation

Posted on: February 24, 2016 by Alexander Herman

We’ve added a new photo to the post about the street art taken from Gdansk, Poland that has since shown up for sale at Lamberty Gallery in London. This shows the work’s principal creator, British street artist Stik, with one of his Polish associates, “Miss Take”, who had helped create the piece in 2011. Stik had worked […]

Athenian group brings human rights claim for return of Parthenon Sculptures

Posted on: February 22, 2016 by Alexander Herman

Following the rejection of UNESCO’s mediation proposal by the UK government and the British Museum in March 2015, a Greek entity called the ‘Athenians’ Association’ has decided to bring an action seeking the return of the Parthenon Sculptures (or Elgin Marbles) before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg. According to last week’s press statement, the claim […]

New EU Directive on return of cultural objects now implemented

Posted on: January 12, 2016 by Alexander Herman

As of last month, the UK has brought into force the necessary regulations to implement the 2014/60 EU Directive on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State. In fact, the deadline for all EU Member States to bring about this change in their national law was 18 December 2015. […]

The Gurlitt case enters 2016

Posted on: January 8, 2016 by Alexander Herman

Since our last report on the Gurlitt case, there have been several developments. What better way, then, to begin the new year with a post on a story that has been unfolding since 2013? Plus ça change… The German-Bavarian appointed Task Force has now been folded into the German Lost Art Foundation, which will continue administering the remaining […]

Street artist and community fight for dismembered mural

Posted on: December 18, 2015 by Alexander Herman

British street artist “Stik”, known for painting giant stick-figure images on buildings around the world has become involved in a campaign to restitute a mural he helped create in the city of Gdansk, Poland in 2011. The mural, which features a series of 53 stick figures holding hands in celebration of the local community, was […]

Strict export rules apply to Dalí painting

Posted on: December 10, 2015 by Alexander Herman

A recent report involving a Dalí painting, Figura en una taula (pictured below), has once again brought the issue of cultural export controls into focus. The Dalí painting, owned by an Italian national named Elena Quarestani, has been blocked by the Italian authorities from leaving the country. This is because it has been subject to a ‘declaration of […]

Fair and Just Solutions book launch

Posted on: December 4, 2015 by Alexander Herman

On Wednesday, the Center for Art Law hosted an event at the Ongpin Fine Art Gallery in London to celebrate the launch of Evelien Campfens’s new book on the subject of Holocaust-era art restitution committees entitled Fair and Just Solutions? Alternatives to litigation in Nazi-looted art disputes: status quo and new developments. Campfens, who is the […]

Cultural heritage protection events in London

Posted on: December 1, 2015 by Alexander Herman

There was a very interesting talk last night on cultural heritage and international law delivered by Roger O’Keefe, professor of international law at University College London. Prof O’Keefe’s paper, presented as the Harry Weinrebe Annual Memorial Lecture at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL), was entitled ‘The Protection of Cultural Property, the Maintenance of International Peace […]

UK’s new Emergency Heritage Management Project

Posted on: November 18, 2015 by Alexander Herman

Officially launched last month, the UK’s Emergency Heritage Management Project will look to help preserve and recover cultural objects and edifices in Iraq that are under threat. In the words of the press release: “It will create a team of local experts to assess, document and stabilise afflicted sites in Iraq, and help begin the process […]