Since the foundation’s creation, there have been abuses: Last June the Oberlandesgericht Wien, the higher regional court of Vienna, removed three members from the board of the West foundation for paying themselves excessive salaries-$560,000 during a five-month period in 2012, the year the artist died, and more than $900,000 in 2013. Now monies from sales and any remaining works from the artist’s estate, “worth many millions of euros,” said Kerres, will go to West’s children-provided the foundation chooses not to appeal the decision.Īfter the artist signed the paperwork on his deathbed, the organization claimed all rights to West’s assets and royalties, which would have gone to his children and wife, the artist Tamuna Sirbiladze, who died in 2016.

“They were done in the hospital, just two days before he died and just hours before he had to receive medication,” said the West family’s lawyer, Christoph Kerres. A Viennese court ruled that the paperwork for the creation of the Franz West Private Foundation, established only days before the artist’s death, was missing language that is usually standard in such agreements, including a “statement of dedication” from the foundation that would underline its acceptance of terms. Family of Franz West Wins Court Battle Over Artist’s Estateįranz West’s young children and their legal guardian, Benedikt Ledebur, have won the battle over the artist’s estate, writes Rachel Corbett of the Art Newspaper.

Franz west rules