Wikilitho in Sandton, South Africa has created a new online resource to protect art buyers, collectors, and artists from unscrupulous art dealers, fraudsters, and forgeries. One of their main objectives is to identify and expose counterfeit works and dealers who have sold fraudulent or illegitimate pieces of art in the past.
The Wikilitho portal also enables buyers to authenticate any artwork they are considering purchasing in order to ensure the originality and legitimacy of their potential investment. On the Wikilitho database, buyers can register their original paintings, lithographs and sculptures. All buyer information is treated with the utmost confidentiality.
The site was founded by a group of serious art collectors who believe that “The market for art is being bastardized by fakes, and innocent buyers are being shredded.”
While most people buy and collect art because of their appreciation for aesthetically beautiful pieces, the Wikilitho team has observed that many art aficionados are becoming increasingly conscious of the potential monetary value of their investments in art. At the same time, the growing financial significance of the art world has attracted a flood of new art dealers, auctioneers, and artists who may not always be ethical.
Wikilitho is seeking to protect the integrity of art market by offering expert services to defend the work of artists, the reputation of art dealers and the monetary investment of buyers and collectors. Their blog includes several posts offering useful advice for art buyers, including a post about $13 billion in art fraud in China.
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