Was Wim Delvoye guilty of abuse of trust in sales artwork? Judge Velt today judgment (Ghent)

The trial in the Ghent court plays the artwork Chapel that Wim Delvoye made in 2007. The work received a lot of attention and ended up in a Swiss gallery, among other things. The boss of an Indian multinational dropped his eye on it. He wanted to buy it and asked the gallerist if that is possible.

Read too. Sold Wim Delvoye the same artwork to two different buyers? « He has never seen that agreement »

“In 2013, an agreement was drawn up between the gallery and my client to sell the work for 650,000 euros. My client deposited the money to the gallery, but never Chapel Instead, « said lawyer Frederieke Cloet, who defended the Indian multinational.

What turned out: Chapel Some time later was sold by Delvoye itself to the Cotton Natie, for 400,000 euros. Abuse of trust, the boss of the multinational believes. In the court of Ghent, he asked the reimbursement of that 650,000 euros and compensation.

“Self -victim”

But Delvoye denied that second sale. « Because there was not even a first sale. » His lawyers explained that the artist never had to sell the sale to the Indian company. « He has never seen that agreement and has never had a euro for that work. »

Delvoyes Advocaten, Femke De Backer, August Blomme and Jo van Overberghe, therefore asked in the Ghent court to speak to him. « He is the victim here, » they said. « In our small world, which is based on trust, we don’t do that, » said Delvoye himself.

However, the public prosecutor believes that the abuse of trust had been proven. « There are emails that show that the Swiss gallery kept the NV Wim Delvoye Art aware of the sale, » said in the Ghent court. The attorney progressed ten months in prison and 2,000 euros for Delvoye and 2,000 euros for the NV.

On Monday, the Ghent court must decide on the case.