Morocco Plans to Combat Art Forgeries

Morocco is planning to pass new laws and strengthen penalties to combat art forgeries, aiming to protect its multimillion-dollar art market.

The chief prosecutor is meeting with the Ministry of Culture and the National Foundation of Museums to discuss methods to better police and detect forged paintings and artworks.

The country’s art market is valued at around $2.5 million, with paintings gaining renown in the Middle East, particularly in Qatar and the UAE.

Morocco joins a list of countries increasingly pursuing forgeries, including the United States, where the FBI’s art crime team has taken on a more active role pursuing forgeries like those of Jean-Michel Basquiat in 2023.