Art Crime: The Forgotten Side of Sustainability

“Art crime?” “Did you say art crime?” This conversation has happened so many times. Someone I meet asks me innocently what I do. I politely reply that I do research, knowing the next question is, “What kind of research?”, and knowing how complex the answer will be. Of all the words to associate with ‘art,’ crime is not the one anyone expects.

The forgotten side of sustainability

It was those conversations that turned my research into my life. It seemed like everyone I spoke to was surprised and curious about what I do, and one pattern stood out. I would describe what I meant by art crime: looting of archaeological sites, theft and trafficking of art and antiquities, forgery, deliberate destruction of symbolic places and objects, etc., and people would respond with an example. “Oh, like the looting in Iraq?” “Do you mean like the Nazis destroying Jewish objects?” “I heard about the paintings stolen from that museum in Boston.” And the examples were always right; they were indeed what I was talking about. Once I explained what art crime is, everyone had heard of it, yet no one knew it was a “thing.” That was the gap I could fill, and how my research could make a difference — showing anyone who was interested how art crime impacts the world.

Art crime — human destruction of human heritage — is rampant around the world, perhaps now more than at any time in the past, yet only a handful of people even know that it is happening. We have begun to value and protect the natural resources of the world around us, but few people see the value of the world we have created, and how much we stand to lose if this cultural heritage is not protected. And the greatest threat is not erosion, or the ravages of time; it is human greed. This is why I wanted to start my own company — to show people that the legacy of history, art, and archaeology is actually the forgotten side of sustainability.

How can we help?

There are two big hurdles to overcome, two big reasons why cultural heritage protection is hard to talk about and has gone unnoticed. The first is specialisation; the people who know the most about art crime are the professionals working in the field, focussed on analysing and solving specific problems. This is essential and irreplaceable, but it means that no one is yet looking at the big picture and making the connections across industries and around the world. The study of art crime is still young and very much evolving, so people really have to specialise and become experts on one thing to be able to teach us all. But specialisation also makes it that much harder to talk to anyone who isn’t an expert. To many people, art is still seen as elite, history still seems irrelevant, and the divisions between experts don’t help. The law enforcement officers understand the aspects of evidence and prosecution, the art historians know whose hands individual artworks have passed through, the archaeologists know how looters target and destroy sites, the gallery owners know how the art market works — but none of them are focussed on the rest of us. Most of their work is meant to be professional to professional, never intended for public outreach, so even the passionately curious can be left out.

The second hurdle is so unexpected that even the experts don’t see it — and that is love! Most people working in art, archaeology, and related fields are like me: they got into it because they absolutely love it. Often we have loved these subjects since childhood. I grew up fascinated by history, captivated by archaeology, and enchanted by great art. I find the same love and excitement in all the art professionals and archaeologists I meet. And it is that love that makes it so hard to answer the public’s most burning question: So what? How does this affect me? Why should I care about history and art? Don’t we have bigger problems to deal with? And because people like me see the value in history, knowledge, and beauty, because we feel it so deeply on such a personal level, it is very hard to take a step back and explain why it should matter to everyone. We love these subjects so much that most of us just can’t understand why everyone else can’t see it too. (You probably have a passion in your own life, large or small, that friends and family just don’t get!) So when experts talk about art and archaeology, they can forget to focus on how much culture and heritage impact everyone’s lives, and the opportunity to inspire can be lost.

Enter Markham Caerus

All this made me realise that I wanted to show people how much cultural heritage matters. I want to connect all this knowledge with the group that has been left out: the public. People who are curious about the world, people who enjoy art or history, and the people who never thought about it would be astonished to find out how much cultural heritage is already part of their lives. I decided to start a company, Markham Caerus, to produce multimedia content to do just that, to share the stories that aren’t told about the museums you visit, the art you see, and the history books you read. I want to share all the outstanding resources that are already available, tell you about the remarkable people and organisations that are quietly at work protecting cultural heritage, and put it all in context. My role is to look at art crime globally: to see how archaeological destruction impacts what we can learn about ourselves, how the multi-billion dollar world of stolen art actually funds violent crime like drug running and terrorism, and how the loss of cultural treasures means a loss of cultural identity to many people. My role is above all to answer that most fundamental question: So what? What do we stand to gain from art and history? And what do we stand to lose from art crime?

The platforms available online are the perfect way to make those connections. I am developing articles, videos, and podcasts exploring the stories of art crime, the problems, and possible solutions. I am also developing a YouTube channel, to help people discover this astonishing world of art crime for the first time, and also to ensure that everyone who wants to learn has access to knowledge, wherever they are. I hope this global platform will introduce the ideas of cultural heritage and art crime, and get people thinking and talking about what this means to them. Videos in production include what art crime means, how Markham Caerus got started, why cultural heritage is already important to you, and what words like history actually mean. (There is a lot more to it than you realise!)

For people who want go further, I am working on in-depth, members-only content to explore deeper connections between the past, the present, and the decisions we make about both. Here there will be articles, videos, and more, telling my favourite stories about works of art lost, recovered, and still missing, artefacts that have been trafficked and rescued, ethical and philosophical questions about what museums should keep or return, and why, and how understanding cultural heritage can increase understanding and tolerance among the living. It is amazing that today’s resources make this possible, and having a member-supported platform means I can continue producing great content for people at every level of interest, and get the world thinking about how our cultural achievements need to be sustained, too.

Markham Caerus is already on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Please join me for curated posts about art crime and cultural heritage in the news, a gallery of art impacted by crime, and links to my favourite books, websites, and even films about art crime. We do need a lighter side to such a serious subject!

A turning point?

After years of studying cultural heritage protection, I am beginning to feel that we are at a turning point. On one hand, there has been more theft, damage, and exploitation of objects and sites in the past generation than there may have been in the previous century, and the exorbitant price tags commanded by art are driving the greed. On the other hand, there are more professionals and organisations at work around the world than ever before, more books are being published on the topic every year, and I am seeing more news headlines about cultural heritage every day. What we decide and do now may determine the legacy we leave for the next century, no one knows yet. Perhaps just reading this will have an impact. Thank you!