Picasso Painting Hung in Australian Art Museum's 'Restroom'... Turns Out to Be a Forgery

Curator Admits to Staging Incident After 3 Years
"Couldn't Find Desired Artwork, So I Painted It Myself"

An art museum in Australia became a hot topic for hanging Pablo Picasso paintings in the women's restroom, but it was later revealed that the curator herself painted the 'fake' artworks, sparking controversy.

On the 11th (local time), according to local media such as The Australian, Kersha Keichel, the curator of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, and the wife of the museum owner, confessed through her social media the day before that three Picasso works displayed in the women-only exhibition hall and recently moved to the restroom were not authentic but paintings she personally created in Picasso's style.

Picasso artwork displayed in the women's restroom at the Museum of Old and New Art in Australia
[Image source=Captured from Kersha Keichel's Instagram, Yonhap News]

She revealed that when opening the women-only exhibition hall, she wanted Picasso works featuring green tones that would suit the exhibition space but could not obtain any, so she painted them herself. She also admitted that other works previously displayed in the women-only exhibition hall were not authentic. Earlier, Keichel had told the media in interviews that "the displayed Picasso works were gifts from my great-grandmother, who was a Picasso enthusiast."

When she first revealed these works about three years ago, she said, "I expected controversy when someone exposed them as 'fake Picasso works,'" but "nothing happened." She added, "Now that we can enjoy this madness together, I feel relieved," and asked, "Please forgive me." Although Keichel framed the commotion she caused as a form of art and a kind of fun, criticism arose that she ultimately deceived visitors. This is because the museum had advertised that visitors could view Picasso works and sold tickets accordingly. Furthermore, her confession that the works were forgeries was not a voluntary decision but came after persistent inquiries from the media and the French Picasso administration, who doubted their authenticity. Keichel apologized in French to the Picasso administration, saying, "Sorry for causing trouble," while admitting the forgeries.

MONA is known for its unique setting where visitors can enjoy food and wine served by a male butler in a lavish women-only space decorated with green velvet, while appreciating works by famous artists such as Picasso. However, last year, a male visitor filed a lawsuit claiming that restricting access to women only violated anti-discrimination laws, and Keichel attracted public attention with her flamboyant outfits and eccentric behavior whenever she appeared in court.

Ultimately, in April, the court ruled that "the women-only exhibition hall at MONA violates anti-discrimination laws." Following this, the museum closed the women-only space called the Ladies Lounge and recently moved the Picasso paintings from the exhibition hall to the women's restroom, causing another stir. At that time, Keichel said, "Because of a lawsuit filed by a man, we had to close the Ladies Lounge, and I was at a loss about what to do with all those Picasso paintings," adding, "I hope only women will enjoy them."