Art crime and the myth of violence: foundational questions for a critical analysis of art policing
Why did site protection and conservation become the natural purview of uniformed police or military? What forms of art policing are warranted today? What are the effects of this authority structure on our perception of the value and purpose of artworks and archaeological materials? These questions a...
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
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2021
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| In: |
Crime and art
Year: 2021, Pages: 173-188 |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Summary: | Why did site protection and conservation become the natural purview of uniformed police or military? What forms of art policing are warranted today? What are the effects of this authority structure on our perception of the value and purpose of artworks and archaeological materials? These questions are central to contemporary debates about the place of state violence in the governance of cultural objects. To answer them, I begin with an analysis of the deep cultural codes that shape collective interpretations of art crime. Next, I trace the manifestation of these codes in the Italian Art Squad. Founded in 1969, Italy’s Art Squad (Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela del Patrimonio Culturale) is the most influential and visible armed unit dedicated to enforcing cultural heritage laws. In the third section, I use art crime data from the FBI and Interpol to show that the majority of art crime is non-violent, and that the myth of violence has broader effects that should concern us. I will argue that the spread of heritage policing is symptomatic of a longer-term trend toward increased state reliance on violence to solve social problems. |
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| Item Description: | Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 185-188 |
| ISBN: | 9783030848569 |
