Estonian Artists' Association to auction works to cover fraud loss
After losing nearly €700,000 to fraud in May, the Estonian Artists' Association will auction part of its collection along with donated pieces in October. A board member explains why parting with paintings hurts less than losing studio space.
The Estonian Artists' Association (EKL) was defrauded of nearly €700,000 in May. To help cover the loss, the organization will auction a selection of works from its collection alongside newly donated pieces from October 8 to 10.
Board member Jaanus Samma, who also sits on the association's art infrastructure council, said the decision was difficult but the choice was clear when weighing a painting against a studio where artists work — the studio matters more. The collection pieces being sold were mostly acquired through the association's spring and fall exhibitions featuring well-known Estonian artists.
Rethinking the collection
Samma said the crisis provided an unexpected opportunity to reassess the collection's focus going forward. The association decided to keep all works depicting artistic life, portraits artists made of one another, or images of their work and studios. Graphic works with duplicate prints will also go to auction, with one copy sold and the other retained.
Donations from artists form a significant part of the sale. Some artists reportedly reached out to offer works even before the auction plan was finalized. The auction will feature names from multiple generations working across a wide range of techniques and mediums.
Uncertain proceeds, but every bit helps
The association has not estimated how much the auction will raise and does not expect it to cover the full loss, though any amount would help. Works were selected partly with an eye toward market demand and collector interest.
Starting September 18, an exhibition at the ARS building in Tallinn will let the public view the auction items for a few weeks before bidding, which will take place online.
Samma noted that the initial shock of the fraud has passed — bills have been paid and exhibitions continue as normal — but the association still must repay a loan taken out because of the incident, meaning the crisis is not fully over.
