Appointment of Lars Van Vliet as Extraordinary Professor of Art Law, Particularly in its Private Law Aspects

As of 1 September Lars van Vliet, Assistant Professor in the Private Law department, has been appointed as extraordinary professor in Art Law, in particular in its private law aspects (0.2 fte). The chair has been established by the Stichting tot Bevordering der Notariële Wetenschap (Foundation for the Advancement of Notarial Legal Science) and will be part of the Private Law department.The chair focuses on research into, and teaching of, art law in the broadest sense. During the first period of appointment, the following two lines of research will be focused on: looted art (including Nazi looted art and colonial looted art) and the modern private law problems surrounding the recovery of stolen or illegally exported cultural goods, protection of bona fide purchasers, and contractual remedies in the event of the purchase of 'non-authentic' (e.g. wrongly attributed or falsified) works of art. In this research, the chair will also focus on the historical backgrounds of the legal issues involved, such as the way in which art was looted in the past and the question which steps have been taken in the past to undo the injustice concerned. It also plays a role to what extent social views have changed in the meantime, so that a different legal answer is appropriate.
 
Lars van Vliet will mainly focus on the private law aspects of art law, taking into account the European law, international law and criminal law dimension, with special attention for the role of the notary public.