With a – as he himself explained – “childish joke” Andre Heller has now finally come into the crosshairs of the Viennese prosecutor’s office. The artist had stated that a self-made frame was made by the famous American painter Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960 to 1988) and sold it for 800,000 euros (but later bought it back).
After an anonymous complaint, it was said in early November that the prosecutor’s office was investigating the initial suspicion (krone.at reported). That is apparently the case, because investigations have been launched into serious fraud against Heller, official spokeswoman Nina Bussek confirms to the “Kurier”.
In Heller’s case there would be serious fraud, from an amount of 300,000 euros there is even a threat of a prison sentence of one to ten years. Kick Off is a list of sketches by the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Alleged Basquiat frame sold
Heller met Basquiat in 1987 during his art project “Luna Luna”, which he designed for Hamburg. After his death a year later, the Viennese all-round artist pasted some of his sketches for the project on wooden slats, added red paint, bits of a black-painted broom handle and nails – and the sculptural, alleged Basquiat frame was ready.
Heller hung a genuine 1983 portrait drawing of Basquiat titled “Untitled” that he acquired in New York in 1990. Heller’s graphic and frame duo was eventually put up for sale by esteemed Viennese gallery Wienerroither & Kohlbacher at New York’s 2017 Tefaf art fair for $2 million for the drawing and $3 million for the fake frame. A buyer was not found at the time. “I wouldn’t have sold it either,” Heller said in a “Falter” interview.
Nevertheless, the Basquiat-Heller combination soon changed hands. The Viennese artist manager Amir Shariat first bought the drawing for a client, while the frame – until the client bought the fake frame in 2018 – went back to Heller for 800,000 euros.
Heller later bought back the frame
Andre Heller has since repurchased the frame, but the whole story leaves a stale aftertaste. Now the judiciary will be concerned with how criminally relevant Heller’s “childish joke” will be.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
