The London gallery Mazzoleni Art has been caught up in a long-standing family feud among the descendants of the Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely, after putting up ten of his works for sale in a special exhibition. “Einstein in the Sky with Diamonds,” a show dedicated to the “grandfather” of the Op Art movement, is on view at the gallery’s Old Bond Street location through December 16.
The Vasarely Foundation, which is led by the artist’s grandson Pierre Vasarely, has accused the gallery of attempting to sell works that rightfully belong to the foundation, according to The Art Newspaper. This allegation is only the latest in a long-running dispute over the ownership of two works in the London show.
Michèle Taburno, Victor Vasarely’s daughter-in-law (from his younger son’s second marriage) and Pierre’s stepmother, has been identified as the consignor of the two paintings. They belong to a larger group that has been in her possession for years, but the works’ provenance and rightful ownership has repeatedly been called into question.
