Descharnes wins back Dali rights from Spanish State

Robert Descharnes, the former secretary to Salvador Dali, has won back the rights to the artist’s work until the year 2004, following an appeal against the Spanish State. The State, represented by Culture Minister Carmen Alborch, had previously handed over the rights in July 1995 to the Fondation Dali, now administered by the State (see The Art Newspaper, No. 42, November 1994, p.6). On 22 February the Administrative Tribunal of Spain decided that the State, in accepting the entire estate of the work of the artist, also by definition accepted the contract which had been agreed between Dali and Demart, the body set up by Mr Decharnes to administer the rights. A letter dated 21 February 1991 from Jorge Semprun, at the time Spain’s Minister of Culture, acknowledged the validity of the contract.