Taiwan’s Judicial System Takes a Proactive Approach to Art Authentication
Economic Daily – Qiu Sizhen
In recent years, as the art market has flourished and transaction values have repeatedly hit record highs, issues such as disputes, forgeries, and fraud have also significantly increased. These challenges have become a pressing concern for Taiwan’s judiciary. To address this, the Judicial Officers Academy held a “2020 Leadership Training Camp for Prosecutors General” on the 19th, inviting renowned art authentication expert Dr. Ye Guo-Shin to lecture on art authentication, covering topics such as artwork verification, anti-counterfeiting measures, and fraud prevention.
Dr. Ye Guo-Shin explains the differences between authentic and forged works to prosecutors general.
(Photo provided by Dr. Ye Guo-Shin)
Dr. Ye emphasized that art authentication requires a balance of academic knowledge and practical experience. Beyond textbook theories, familiarity with authentication tools and an understanding of the methods employed by criminal forgery syndicates are crucial for investigative work. While studying in the UK, Dr. Ye dedicated himself to combining Asian and Western authentication techniques, ultimately developing a unique, logical, and systematic “art authentication methodology.”
Dr. Ye believes that authentication represents the deepest form of art appreciation. In addition to theoretical and practical discussions, he shared insights on how to evaluate the aesthetic and collectible value of artworks. He expressed gratitude to Judicial Officers Academy President Tsai Biyu for her recommendation, which he sees as a testament to the judiciary’s commitment to building a robust art market in Taiwan. This proactive measure, or “advanced deployment,” underscores the judiciary’s dedication to ensuring the integrity of art transactions.
Source:
Economic Daily Article
Dr. Ye Guo-Shin not only brought representative samples of counterfeit works but also introduced various printing methods, such as watermarked woodblock printing, rotary printing, inkjet printing, and the latest 11-color nano inkjet printing forgeries. He also presented authentic works by renowned artist Fu Baoshi and scientific authentication equipment, including high-magnification microscopes ranging from 100x to 1200x and backlit panels, for repeated comparative testing.
Through these scientific tools, participants were able to observe restoration, forgery, and printing traces under different lighting conditions. By utilizing cutting-edge international authentication techniques, the attendees gained a comprehensive understanding of the material properties and forgery methods of genuine and counterfeit works.
Dr. Ye Guo-Shin, a renowned expert in art and antique authentication, interacts with prosecutors general to discuss authentic and counterfeit artworks. (Photo provided by Dr. Ye Guo-Shin)
