To catch an art thief... get an Art Guard
Wellington Sunday Star Times
AUGUST 5, 2007

As New Zealanders' appetite for fine art grows, so does the appetite of those who want to steal it.

With the New Zealand art market reaching $50 million last year, art theft is increasing, pushing already expensive insurance premiums higher. "People in private homes are buying more art. We are seeing it increasingly on the insurance forms. I have tendered for art collections in excess of $3m - and it is mostly New Zealand art," says Kevin Meekan, underwriting manager for Tower Insurance. Although he says art in private collections is more likely to be ruined by a glass of spilt red wine or fire, there have been a number of high profile art heists in recent years.

A Charles Goldie painting that had been back in New Zealand for less than a month, and a rare unbound Bible, both worth $100,000, were two of the most notable artworks stolen recently from collections. Seven framed Colin McCahon poems were also taken from the Auckland University library in February. Masterworks Gallery in Ponsonby, Auckland, was raided five times in one year, with thieves stealing expensive ceramic pieces and large blown-glass works. "Theft has always happened, but it is definitely increasing in our experience," said Eloise Kitson, exhibition manager of the gallery. "It seems to be opportunistic with the smaller things, but there is also evidence that these things have been planned."

But now light-fingered art aficionados are set to be sprung by a simple new security device. Developed by an artist in the United States, the device, called an Art Guard, hangs on the wall behind a piece of art and emits an ear shattering 120 decibels if anybody tries to remove the work. "The alarm won't stop until a special key is fitted - so it will really draw attention to anybody committing a theft," says Trevor Morley, the security specialist who has brought Art Guard to New Zealand. "Most thefts happen during the day and this is a cheap way for art collectors to protect their art and hopefully bring down their insurance costs."

Hotels also regularly see art and other small valuables lifted from their rooms. "It is quite frustrating to see art go missing off our walls," says the sales and marketing manager of one exclusive five-star hotel. The hotel is increasingly also seeing plasma screens being pocketed by light-fingered guests. "We have had quite a few of these stolen, guests just remove them from the wall and slip them into their bags. They are so much easier to steal than normal television sets. We would be very interested in this sort of technology to prevent this," she said.

Private collectors of art have also been targeted, but face such high insurance premiums that many are choosing to not insure their expensive paintings. Emma Fox, the head of fine arts at Webb's auctioneers in Auckland, says she has seen the art market grow across the board - mostly in paintings -but also books and plays. "New Zealanders are growing in awareness of these things. However, I have had people deciding to sell their paintings because they cannot afford to insure them," she told the Sunday Star-Times. "We chain the small works because of their pocketable size and we would definitely consider using this (alarm) if the insurance companies got on board and it made our insurance premiums reduce."

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