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Saturday, December 14, 2013

Art Sale Plagued by Forgery Rumors

"It’s a copy." -- National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera on Lot 7, a drawing offered by Art Gallery Asia

Source: www.bworldonline.com

National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera has denied the authenticity of Lot 7, a Mother-and-Child drawing offered at Mga Obra sa Santuario: An Art Exhibit of Filipino Masters and Contemporary Artists. Organized by Makati-based Art Gallery Asia in partnership with the Santuario de San Antonio Parish in Forbes Park, the ongoing art sale at the Pasilyo de San Antonio is supposed to benefit the Friars’ Health Fund and victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

Based on an image of the offered work, Mr. Cabrera determined that the drawing was a forgery. In a phone interview with BusinessWorld on Dec. 3, Mr. Cabrera said Art Gallery Asia was in possession of a copy of one of his Madonna series drawings. He has seen this drawing before, he added, and he is sure that it is a forgery because the original is currently in his personal collection.

The work, which was never exhibited, was reproduced on a postcard some 10 years ago. Mr. Cabrera believes that forgers have used the postcard, which was sold at The BenCab Museum in Baguio, as a reference image for fakes. “Mukhang tunay (It looks real),” he said.

“They don’t even change it, they just copy it.”

Art Gallery Asia owner Bong Versoza stands by the drawing, saying that it is from a friend -- a “reputable collector” -- who has given him other artworks in the past. “I did not verify [the BenCab piece] because I trust [this person],” Mr. Versoza said in a phone interview with BusinessWorld on Dec. 3. He added that the drawing came with a certificate of authenticity from Mr. Cabrera.

Rumors have been swirling around the sale since it opened on Nov. 15. “We believe that there is a group trying to discredit the exhibit out of jealousy,” the Art Gallery Asia owner continued. “At first they said everything was fake.”

These claims are unsubstantiated, according to Mr. Versoza. “It’s been a week, and no one has spoken to us,” he said, referring to recognized experts and authorities. Mr. Versoza did say he received a phone call from a competing gallery owner, who, he added, has also been badgering the priests of Santuario de San Antonio Parish into taking down the exhibit.

The owner of the alleged BenCab forgery, who spoke to BusinessWorld on Dec. 3 on the condition of anonymity, said that he purchased the drawing from Dino Miranda, a broker, who acquired it from sculptor Mike Immatong, who, in turn, got it from BenCab’s nephew Bobby Cabrera. The collector added that he had no intentions of selling the piece until a friend persuaded him to join the charitable sale for the sake of Yolanda victims.

Mr. Versoza said that this “controversy” is ruining a good cause. “The ones really affected by these rumors are the beneficiaries,” he added.

Despite allegations of forgery, the gallery still makes at least one sale every day. “Watch out for Mga Obra sa Santuario 2,” Mr. Versoza said, adding that he is already planning another sale at the church next year.

Mga Obra sa Santuario: An Art Exhibit of Filipino Masters and Contemporary Artists is ongoing until Dec. 8 at Pasilyo de San Antonio, Santuario de San Antonio Parish, Forbes Park, Makati City.

43 comments:

  1. tutulong na nga lang tsssk nakaw pa ang ibebenta

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    Replies
    1. Hindi nakaw yun! Kundi kopya!

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    2. Ang pangongopya ay isang uri ng pagnanakaw.ng idea.

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  2. naku... baka kaya binebenta kasi fake nga talaga..

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  3. Deny pa tong si Mr. Versoza eh sinabi na nga ni BenCab nasa kanya pa yung original.

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  4. Embarrasing but, at least, they are helping the Yolanda victims.

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    Replies
    1. nope, they are USING the disaster for their scam, their MAIN intention is to SCAM NOT to help, so no , their main goal is NOT TO HELP THE VICTIMs

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  5. basta pinoy corrupt, pati fund raising para sa disaster victim fake, tama na yang mga fund raising, nasaan na ba yang mga bilyones eh sa news puro gutom pa rin ang mga tao , in short , ke me donation o wala eh patay pa rin sila sa gutom, so what gives???? DO NOT donate kasi patay rin naman sila tapos pinayaman pa ang mga corrupt official, sa pilipinas, kung bibili ka ng more than 50,000 pesos at luxury item lang buy it outside manila , safe ka pa sa manloloko

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    Replies
    1. Ang lago ng segway mo sa dulo ateng!!

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    2. segway talaga ateh?

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  6. ngek, daming middleman,the more na fake ito, ano yan???? no intent of selling if not for disaster???? hmmm st**id na lang ang maniwala dyan, eh kasama na ang DISHONESTY sa genetic make up ng pinoy

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  7. sa pinas kasi puro fake.

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    Replies
    1. even the Certificate of Authenticity can be forged

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  8. ulyanin na ata si bencab eh ~ gardo v

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    Replies
    1. ano kinalaman ni gardo dito? bong versoza po ang sangkot, ateng!

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    2. Haist dimo na gets ang joke niya

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  9. White Collar lang ang peg. Pati scam ginaya hahaha

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  10. Kng proven fake, dpat me managot. Collectors buy paintings as investment tpos bglang photocopy lng pala!!!!

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  11. Bka nka limot lang si ben cab? Mdali nman patunayan yan eh. Hanapin lang ang providence

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    Replies
    1. Paano makakalimot eh nasa kanya nga yung original. Hwag mong sabihing fake yung na kay Ben Cab

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    2. Lol bka nga fake yun hawak ni benCab bwahaha .... Anak ng bwitre oo!

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    3. "providence" talaga?!!! baka naman "evidence" ang ibig mong sabihin? tsaka anong evidence pa ang hahanapin mo, sabi nga ng artist, nasa kanya original? sus!

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    4. hahah baka provenance? pareho kayo shunga lang? hahahah


      --BAKLANG MANICURISTA

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    5. Providence yun ba kamong village ng mayayaman sa marikina?

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  12. Dami kc kailangan bayaran na utang ni versoza :)

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  13. This is weird. The artist is disclaiming already. First reaction should have been to investigate (the original is with BenCab! what else do you need to hear to jump off your seat??), not refute. Why did it (BenCab's claim) rub off on them the wrong way? Inside story, please.

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  14. Never a fan of bencab's work...masyadong overstated ang presyo.

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    Replies
    1. Well, him being a National Artist makes the price well worth it.

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    2. baka naman ibig mong sabihin "overrated" sya? :-D

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  15. ano pa kayang proof kailangan nila para sabihin na its a fake? yung artist na mismo nagsabi? gusto ba nila pati yung original paper and pencil na ginamit magsalita rin? weird...

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  16. Pls let us know the development on this story.

    Very interesting to

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  17. So ano na sabi nun seller? Refund ba nya? Dapat bang mag demanda si bencab? Kung ako buyer, isosoli ko . Kasi mismong artist na ang nagsabi na di nya gawa ito diba?

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  18. Edi patunayan nila na totoong orig ang drawing? I mean may resibo or note man lang yan ng kinuha kay bencab for sure! Kapag wla eh di fake talga. Mabuti nga buhay pa artist eh! Kung patay na yan edi lalo nang mahirap patunayan

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  19. BenCab should sue them!

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  20. Demanda dapat kasi sinotto eh .... Plagiarist kumbaga haha ....ok cge forgery na nga bka ma nazzi pko

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  21. Bitter lang si bencab siguro...

    Coz if its fake, he should have just sued the peple behind the auction.

    Eh bket wala din sya paki alam?

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  22. yang gallery asia na yan parating may fake/nababalitaang may fake sila.

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  23. If the artist claims that the said art work is fake then he should do the necessary action and sue them for him to be vindicated...yun na! Paaak!

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  24. there's no reason for Bencab to be bitter. He has a backlog of clients wanting to buy his paintings. this is not the first time. Some well off socialite in the know bought prints of Bencab priced 10 times more than it's market value. When Bencab and co. found out, they confronted the auctioneer why they priced it so much knowing it was just a print.

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  25. AH.. SO print lang…

    so eh di hindi fake…

    lithograph naman pala

    kaya pla di mademanda ni BenCab

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    updates on what you have to say. Please keep writing as I want to learn more.

    ReplyDelete

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