Fondazione Manzoni destroys 39 fake Achromes in anti-forgery campaign

The Fondazione Manzoni in Milan has announced the destruction of 39 paintings falsely attributed to Piero Manzoni (1933–1963), all declared non-authentic by the Civil Court of Milan. The works, various Achromes in techniques from wrinkled canvas to cotton, bales, and polystyrene, were owned by baritone Giuseppe Zecchillo. The foundation reports that Zecchillo in the 1990s founded an association called Amici di Piero Manzoni, which allegedly spread defamatory stories to support the circulation of non-authentic works owned by its members. Legal actions by the foundation have resulted in 65 works being declared non-authentic in civil court, with cooperation from the Carabinieri's Cultural Heritage Protection Unit. Ten works previously owned by Gianni Schubert were destroyed by the Monza unit in 2016. The foundation, established in 1992 by Manzoni's family to archive his works, aims to reassure collectors and announced a forthcoming new edition of the online general catalogue for authenticity verification. The announcement was accompanied by photos and videos of the physical destruction of some fake works.