Polish authorities have seized several works, including pieces by Damien Hirst and the anonymous street artist Banksy, stolen from the small city of Przemyśl nearly three years ago as they were being shipped from war-torn Ukraine to Switzerland.
Małgorzata Taciuch-Kurasiewicz, the district prosecutor in Przemyśl, said in a statement that the breakthrough in the case was made December 9 when provincial police in Rzeszów seized 11 works by artists that also included Takashi Murakami, Linda McCartney, and Shi Xinning. The works included 10 paintings and one photograph.
Authorities were able to authenticate the works on December 11, Taciuch-Kurasiewicz said in the statement translated from Polish. She said the works are collectively worth some $186,636.
Damien Hirst in 2022. Photo: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images.
“The originality of the secured works was confirmed by foreign experts specializing in this field of art,” Taciuch-Kurasiewicz said. “Fortunately, all stolen paintings were recovered, a total of 11 pieces.”
Taciuch-Kurasiewicz said her office immediately opened an investigation after the burglary on the night of March 24, 2022. City police in Przemyśl and Warsaw police were also involved in the investigation, which was launched in collaboration with the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general.
Artnet News has reached out to Taciuch-Kurasiewicz’s office for additional comment but did not receive a response by press time.
The news came as Ukrainian prosecutors took part in the special training regarding the prosecution of war crimes against the mobile cultural heritage, which was organized by the Advisory Group on the Serious International Crimes with supported from the government of the Netherlands.
The two-day was organized “to increase their capacity to investigate Russian war crimes against cultural heritage,” according to Ukrainian prosecutors.
“Participants explored international experiences, challenges and mechanisms of prosecuting crimes against cultural heritage,” Ukrainian prosecutors said. “During the seminar, they also discussed practical steps to ensure accountability for these crimes in Ukraine.”
Credit: news.artnet
