LIVE ONLINE EVENT: Tuesday, June 2, 7:00 PM
Featuring Maria Konnikova, author, The Confidence Game; Don Thompson, author The Orange Balloon Dog: Bubbles, Turmoil and Avarice in the Contemporary Art Market; Patricia Cohen, reporter, The New York Times, and director Barry Avrich

The live webinar link will be available here on June 2.

Established in 1846, New York City’s Knoedler & Company was one of the most respected art galleries in the USA, selling masterpieces by the world’s most sought-after artists. By 2011, that reputation was severely tarnished and the establishment in ruins. Rumours and accusations surrounding Knoedler’s transactions of fraudulent modern artwork decimated the gallery and its high-profile president Ann Freedman. Millionaires keen to build their prestigious personal collections instead ended up with impressive forgeries imitating Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Robert Motherwell, all painted by one man in a Queens garage. The abstract masterpieces at the centre of this controversy are merely commodities to be acquired and traded by an elitist culture ripe for exploitation. The elaborate con artist scheme and the outrage that followed makes for an entertaining true crime drama, where everyone is willing to share their side of the story, but no one takes responsibility for their actions. Alexander Rogalski

Visit Hot Docs Film Page for more information of the film & event.