Encounter in Thailand – “Forger King” confesses his life on vacation

There are coincidences! In Thailand, the Dutch art forger and a courageous police officer from Austria crossed paths – a highly unusual encounter when it does not involve solving criminal offenses. They are both no longer actively involved in their ‘jobs’ and only talk in a relaxed manner.

Robert Driessen has long since served his sentence and is now honestly continuing his life as a legend from criminal history. He has lived on Ko Samui since 1979 and runs a small cafe on the island kingdom. Former director Gerald Koller from Rust, who made his name as the cartoonist ‘Geronimo’, met him during a holiday.

Assembly line work in a forger’s workshop
Without further ado, Driessen told him how he, with a hundred strong accomplices, made large-scale copied sculptures by the Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) to resemble the precious originals. In the mock workshop it was like working on an assembly line in a factory.

“Everything was planned down to the smallest detail,” says Dr. Driessen. He is not actually a doctor, but the title was accorded him with great respect in the forbidden art scene. “The deprecatory activity of a counterfeiter is not permitted but requires refined artistry and top-class craftsmanship,” experts say.

The master of his (criminal) trade, dressed in his work smock, often stood day and night at the workbench with hammer and chisel to create stone exhibits that looked like unique pieces worth millions. Giacometti was his favorite idol.

The Dutchman made everything to order with perfection. The ‘king of imitations’ even surpassed the great master. Driessen skillfully made 1,300 Giacometti sculptures, the real artist came up with “only” 650.

$52 million for counterfeiting
In personal conversations, Driessen likes to talk about the secrets of art forgers – or rather: paint boxes. It makes him smile when he visits museums in Europe and sees his own forgeries on display. “It also makes me a little proud when the counterfeits go unnoticed,” says Driessen.

When asked why he immediately recognizes his works, he answers with a grin: “Counters also have their own style.” During his captivity, Driessen heard that world-famous photographer Robert Mapplethorpe had sold a forgery of his for as much as five hundred dollars. $52 million worth of dollars had been purchased. “I immediately identified the alleged original as my copy, because I was the only one who patinated the image with red paint. “Giacometti, on the other hand, never used the color red,” Driessen reveals.

At the end of May he will be back in Germany, where the filming of the Netflix production ‘The Counterfeiters’ will be completed. The four-part series is about the best of his illegal ‘guild’.