On 11 March, the 36th edition of TEFAF Maastricht – superior among international art fairs – will open its doors to art enthusiasts and collectors with exquisite works from antiquity to the present day.
In 2023 there will be 270 dealers from all over the world, 13 of whom will be attending TEFAF Maastricht for the first time. Highlights from 7,000 years of art history include Le Femme au Perroquet by Fernand Léger (Van de Weghe Fine Art), Alexander Calder's Curly Blue Tail sculpture (Galerie Von Vertes), a Louis XV commode by Antoine Robert Gaudreaus (Christophe de Quenetain), Paul Dupré-Lafon's personal desk set (Galerie Marcilhac), a Wiener Werkstätte mantle clock by Josef Hoffmann (Bel Etage), a royally owned Fabergé brooch (Wartski) and a 1st century BC statuette of a Bactrian princess (Galerie Kevorkian).
See also: 10 Major Art Thefts in 10 Different Years
But while excitement for the 36th edition of the fair builds up, dealers and collectors might be looking back at last year's TEFAF with some reservations. In 2022, the booth of London jeweller Symbolic & Chase was the victim of a robbery, in which the thieves smashed the glass showcases in the middle of the day and stole valuable pieces of jewellery, including a 114-carat yellow diamond.
See also: An Art Heist at TEFAF: But the Show Must Go On
As the Dutch police announced on 3 March, the investigations into the case have so far led to partial conclusions. According to their statement, a criminal group from the Balkans is under suspicion, identified from the analysis of the fair's footage, witness statements, and tips from viewers of the television program Opsporing.nl, which covered the attack during the summer of 2022. One of the stolen pieces of jewellery has also been recovered.
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“The research still attracts a great deal of international attention," said the lead investigator. "Both from the media, but especially from the international art world. Especially with a view to the next edition of this major art fair, which will take place again this month. We are doing everything we can to solve this brutal robbery. This research has an unprecedented international component. All information that is collected abroad is processed through requests for legal assistance, and that takes time. It is a long-term investigation, but we are still confident that this case can be solved and the suspects will be apprehended and prosecuted."
