Zilkens' News Blog

Zilkens News Blog 19 2022

Dear readers of Kobel's Art Week and our newsblog,

In the following you will read a longer art week in which Ukraine, New York, Vienna, Frankfurt, NFTs and the red tape are among the topics. TEFAF New York is coming to an end and NADA is opening. The art market is creeping up on its old travel habits. Hong Kong will also have an Art Basel at the end of the month - the art will go there, the visitors from other countries will probably have to stay outside or undergo a three-week quarantine. In general, the question is whether Hong Kong will retain its bridging function after the quasi-annexation by the People's Republic of China at the end of the quarantine. The totalitarian states with communist overcoats to maintain the power of the potentates are tinkering with a world order in which only those freedoms survive that do not disturb them - the freedom of art is not one of them.

Yesterday, 77 years ago, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally, followed by the age of Aufarbeitung, which continues to this day. The actions towards the Jews and many peoples of the world were too inhuman and cruel for simple explanations to satisfy. To this day, we do not understand the paralysis of the Christian-minded people to fall into the Führer's arms and prevent him and his entourage from further murder. Similarly, Russia will gather masses of war jubilants in the streets today for Victory Day, which is the opposite of resistance to the war in Ukraine. In times of information overflow, it is even harder to believe that certain information does not get through - however, the possibility of manipulating information on the net seems limitless. It is questionable whether Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter will lead to more truthful information. Under the disguise of freedom of opinion, targeted manipulation is taking place with algorithms. But how do you get the education that protects against manipulation?

Hardly noticed by the rest of Europe, Sinn Fein became the strongest force in Northern Ireland with significant gains. Will Great Britain like the fact that the part of the island annexed by Oliver Cromwell might want to join the Republic and thus automatically become part of the EU?

Germany also voted at the weekend and people are rubbing their eyes at the election results in Schleswig Holstein - no, not because the CDU and the Greens made significant gains, but because the SPD's poor result is being blamed entirely on the local leading candidate. Obviously, there is no chancellor bonus, even though he tried to speak clearly in a televised speech and gave us hope that Putin and his henchmen cannot win the war they have started. The fact that the Ukrainian ambassador in Germany, in his usual undiplomatic manner, didn't accept the Chancellors' statements as concrete enough - not that it matters, but the man risks overstepping the mark, because in addition to state aid, there are plenty of private initiatives to provide aid for Ukraine and its citizens. They are not so much in the limelight - but all the more they need a positive mood to collect sufficient funds, which should not be disturbed by the feeling of excessive demands.

In New York, a Marilyn by Andy is being auctioned today and more than 200 million USD are expected for the painting. Adjusted to inflation, this corresponds to 180 million USD at the beginning of this year. It will be exciting for the insurance industry, because this work also needs to be transported, and that requires sufficient transport maximums. For exhibitions, usually no more than 100 to 150 million euros per means of transport are granted - unless you have perfect packaging, like the Q-Plus box, which can withstand heat of 800 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes. Parcel services should therefore not be entrusted with the transport.

We wish you a week of cultural and economic signals of hope.

Your Stephan Zilkens and the team of Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker GmbH in Cologne and Solothurn