André Heller and Albina Schmid on the Romy TV Awards red carpet at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria © Manfred Werner - Tsui via Wikimedia Commons
Was a fake Basquiat put on the market voluntarily?
A sculptural frame that was thought to be by Jean Michel-Basquiat and sold for $3 million at TEFAF in 2017 has been shown to be by André Heller, an Austrian musician and artist. Is this a case of an art forgery that was caught or a "childish prank," as the artist told the German press this week? Heller put sketches by Basquiat on strips of wood, painted them red, and hammered nails and pieces of a black broom handle into them. He then put a real portrait of Basquiat in the frame, which he bought in 1990, according to an Austrian news magazine. "Looking back, the whole thing was first of all a childish joke. Second, it's an obvious way to show off. And third, it's a stupid mix of fiction and reality," Heller told Falter. "Just a fairy tale between us."
Heller wanted to test the expert's knowledge
"Untitled (Frame)," made in 1987, was for sale at the art fair by the Vienna gallery Wienerroither & Kohlbacher, which is known for its great selection of high-end goods and antiques. Both the drawing and the frame were put on the market for $2 and $3 million. At the time, no one bought it. The article said that Heller and art historian and Basquiat expert Dieter Buchhart talked about the frame in a conversation. Heller said that he told Buchhart "only once" that the frame was made by Basquiat in a conversation. When asked why he lied, Heller said, "Buchhart made it seem like he knew everything there was to know about Basquiat." So, said Heller, he wanted to "test" Buchhart's knowledge of the frame.
Collectors eventually became interested in the Basquiat-Heller mixture
Heller had met Basquiat in 1987, so it was possible. Buchhart seemed shocked when Falter told him that the painting wasn't a real Basquiat. He said, "Then Heller lied to me. "I can't believe it." "In an interview with André Heller on June 1, 2016, Heller said that Basquiat made a frame with small pieces of drawings in it. I didn't prove the frame was real, and I never said I did. Even though the piece didn't sell at TEFAF, collectors eventually became interested in the Basquiat-Heller mix. Amir Shariat, an artist manager from Vienna, bought the drawing from the gallery for a client. He then gave the frame back to Heller, where it stayed until 2018, when Shariat's client bought it for 800,000 euros, according to Falter's research.
Heller has since bought the frame
Heller says that the sales contract for the frame did not include a certificate of authenticity, and Heller's lawyer said in a statement that both Heller and the gallery thought it was a frame with Basquiat sketches attached separately. Shariat shot down this defense in his interview: "The frame was by Basquiat. Heller said the same thing." Heller, on the other hand, has denied any claims of forgery and has since bought back the frame.
Jean Dubreil
