Cultural objects as criminal currency: Patterns of fencing and laundering

• In Event: Criminogenic Entanglements with Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Crimes involving art and cultural objects are often financially motivated. This paper explores how cultural objects function as criminal currency through cases of fencing and laundering. Drawing on data from the Norwegian police’ criminal register and intelligence register, the study examines the scale of these illicit transactions, the key actors involved, and the mechanisms that facilitate them. While cultural objects are widely recognized as instruments of money laundering and assets in criminal exchanges, the practical workings of their trade remain poorly understood. This research seeks to clarify these dynamics and contribute to a broader understanding of financial crime within the art world.

Author

• Siv Runhovde, University of Oslo