AXA ART Reminds Collectors Art is Fragile During Art Toronto 2015

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct. 7, 2015) - Excitement is growing as Art Toronto gears-up to present another dynamic art fair, with offerings of important modern and contemporary works of art presented by some of Canada's most prominent galleries. AXA ART has been associated with Art Toronto as official art insurer sponsor for the past seven years and looks forward to participating in the Fair's rich cultural programming which includes a series of lectures and panel discussions from prominent art world figures, curated projects and an extensive VIP Program. This year, AXA ART will curate a visual presentation at its booth under the topic "art is fragile" and present the inaugural talk of PLATFORM featuring Robert Wittman, Founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team and its former senior investigator.

"With Toronto's growing international reputation as a destination for art and culture and its sophisticated collecting community, we are extremely pleased to maintain a presence at Art Toronto and for the opportunity to contribute to the Fair's educational activities," said Christiane Fischer, President and CEO of AXA Art Americas. "With the fair's redesigned space and special projects such as Focus: Latin America we are particularly looking forward to engaging with the artists and members of the art community."

Susannah Rosenstock, Director of Art Toronto said, "We welcome AXA ART's participation and look forward to sharing access to their expertise with guests of Art Toronto."

Whether from accidental damage, water damage, fire or improper packaging and shipping conditions, AXA ART has more than 50 years of experience providing specialist insurance services to the art world for losses resulting from a wide array of risks. AXA ART will share its experience to remind collectors about scenarios which can harm the condition of their collections, and provide information on the benefits of specialist insurance and preventative conservation in protecting valuable art objects.

Art is Fragile

Visitors to Art Toronto are invited to the AXA ART booth B9 to experience an installation of art pulled from the company's claims portfolio. They include items recovered from theft; a sculpture missing its pair; and more. The presentation is part of AXA ART's ongoing global conversation on best practices to care for and preserve objects of art. The company's Art Experts will be available to answer questions and provide information and advice at the fair.

Stories of Art Recovery - A World of Stolen Works @Platform

Friday, October 23 at 1:00pm, Mainstage of Art Toronto

AXA ART is thrilled to present the inaugural talk of Platform, Art Toronto's speaker series. For this segment, Christiane Fischer, President and CEO of AXA Art Americas Corporation will interview, Founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team and former senior investigator, Robert Wittman. The discussion will focus on some of the dramatic scenarios which Mr. Wittman confronted in his art recovery work. Mr. Wittman will offer tips on how collectors can protect their valuables and bring attention to prevention tips as well as to available resources in the case of theft.