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I am an artist and I am writing a complaint because I am concerned about an arts organization operating in NY that may be taking advantage of artists and was wondering if anyone has ever heard of them, and perhaps you could get the word out to warn artists to be very cautious about this organization, as I think their practices are questionable, and they may be doing a scam.
The organization, N Y Bienniale Art (NYBA), is promoting and event that is supposed to occur in New York City September 27 through October 25, 2009, called the NY Biennale 2009, and they are putting out a call-for-artists for a show called Free Zone Area. the director's name is Pietro Franesi. I have been dealing with them for almost 9 months via email, because they were supposed to give me a solo show for this event in 2008. They first advertised on Craig's list looking for artists for solo show and I responded and they told me that I was chosen, via several confirmations emails that I received. It was then canceled after I got an e-mail from his organization saying that Pietro Franesi was hit by a cab. They informed artists that they would do the same NY Biennale art show for 2009, which was supposed to occur in many different locations throughout the city, but then six months later I received an e-mail to apply for a new show called Free Zone Area, and it said that all of the solo shows had been canceled.
What I am concerned about is that in the call-for-artists for the Free Zone Area show they are charging a nonrefundable $250 application fee to be wired to a bank, but don't have a location for the show, and when I ask them what the location is, they never respond. They also do not have an address for the organization, NY Bienniale Art, and on one site - http://www.nyinfoart.com/events_page.htm - it states that "NYBA is a not-for-profit organization to promote quality art from around the world to New York", but when I talk to the New York charities Bureau they are not registered.
All of their websites give the appearance of them being a legitimate organization, and they have also put on some actual shows at actual locations, so maybe they are just conducting themselves in an unprofessional manner and are disorganized because they don't know any better, but my dealings with them has not been very positive. They do give a lot of information about themselves (the director's name with a photo, and all of his staff, with their photos) but no actual address, no location address for the NY Biennale events they are promoting, and remember, they are not registered as a charity in the city of New York even though they are claiming they are non-for profit.
On another website - http://nybiennaleart.splinder.com - they have posted the call for artists for the Free Zone Show, plus they e-mailed the call to the artists that were participating in the NY Bienniale Art 2008.
Here is the actual website call for artists page: http://nybiennaleart.splinder.com/post/[protected]/FREE+ZONE+AREA
There also other call-for-artist with other high application fee charges on this page: http://nybiennaleart.splinder.com/post/[protected]/CONTESTS
Here is the part from their announcement about wiring the money:
2. An application fee of $250 must be sent to:
CHASE BANK
ACCOUNT: [protected]
DOMESTIC WIRE ( BY USA )
[protected]
INTERNATIONAL WIRE ( BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES )
CHASUS33
OBJECT: PARTICIPATION FEE FREE ZONE NYBA 2009
Send to [protected]@nybiennaleart.org the number of your wire transfer
The application fee payment must be made in US dollars and is non-refundable.
Here are also all of their other sites and email addresses, and last phone contact info:
http://www.nybiennaleart.org
http://nybiennaleart.splinder.com/
http://nybiennaleart.blogspot.com/
http://it.netlog.com/nybiennaleart/
http://www.youtube.com/user/NYBiennaleArt
Skype: nybiennaleart
Email
[protected]@nybiennaleart.org
[protected]@nybiennaleart.org
[protected]@nybiennaleart.org
[protected]@nybiennaleart.org
[protected]@nybiennaleart.org
+[protected]
+[protected]
Pietro Franesi also owns a gallery called NY1Art, Centre for Contemporary Art Research - 515 West - 25th Street - NY
http://www.4artcollectors.org/index.htm
also located at:
- L1 Address: Oktyabrskaya street #29 Moscow
- L2 Address: Nevsky pr., 71 St. Petersburg
- L3 Address: 10 Great Portland Street, London
Questo complaints è iniziato il Nov 07, 2008. Today is Sept. 29/2023.
15 years ago.
solo un 'artista ha scritto il suo vero nome ed ha apprezzato il mio lavoro.
tutti gli altri non si sono firmati col loro nome ma si sono nascosti dietro l'anonimato.
Perchè?
NYBA ha rotto le scatole alla vecchia lobby che controllava il mercato dell'arte a New York ed ha trovato qualche imbecille che con 50 dollari ha scritto falsità contro di me.
Putroppo questo sito non da la possibilità di cancellare le falsità, anche quando sono dimostrate.
Perchè?
Perchè poi qualcuno telefona al sottoscritto e mi propone di pagare 7500 dollari per cancellare il link dalle ricerche google.
questa è la verità, complaintboard è solo business sulla reoutazione delle persone.
Vergognatevi.
Dear Annalisa Zirelli, alias Annlee, this is my Certificate of Pending Charges. Can you post your Certificate? So all people can understand who is the trickster.
Miss Annalisa Zirelli I am waiting for your certificate
Pietro franesi imbroglione!
Pietro Franesi truffatore!
stai ancora fumando canne o finalmente hai trovato un equilibrio che ti permetta di dire UNA VOLTA la verità, nella tua vita?
are you still smoking weed or have you finally found a balance that allows you to tell the truth ONCE, in your life?
Please be advised that this organization and Pietro Franesi are making their rounds internationally. This time they are asking for 49 euros and the property of artists. They have used my gallery name "darb44" in Tehran and my name without my legal permission on their website and refuse to remove it. They are that desperate! IRANIAN ARTISTS PLEASE BE AWARE THAT MY GALLERY IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS BOGUS ORGANISATION. thank you.
I deleted your gallery because you asked without my authorization money to the artists. The selection I made with the museum of contemporary art in tehran.
If any doubts subsisted the posts of the 8th and 9th of April 2010 have killed them all as only a scammer would respond this way... I would like to thank all the artists who had the guts to post their unfortunate 'art experience' with the so called NYBA. THANK YOU!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you...wow, wow
Hi,
Mr.Pietro Franesi is now in India and many of local artists are curious to know more about him.Please check this link on Face Book https://www.facebook.com/groups/149628775820/ Any info will be appreciated.
Thanks for publishing the valuable info.
This same person is currently targeting many artists in India.
I will forward this info to many of my artists friends who were contacted by NYBA.
Dear Jane Jackson,
our Director is still waiting for your call
from Australia [protected]
from the world +[protected]
Can we ask a question?
Do u write complaints for hobby or for business?
Can u explain the reason of your hate against our Director?
Does Someone pay you per each complaints?
How much?
We are happy to help people that has problems.
But please don't spend this money, in case you make for money, in gin or beer or prozac.
Buy meet and milk and natural water.
It is better for your health, and walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk until you are very tired so you can sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep for a long time and wake up for the next edition of NYBA.
However we are ending the selection of australian artists and we are very happy for the results.
You have to continue these complaints because when the artists read it they smile and for us is good because we like to live together smiling people.
Peace and love, but please call him
He is worry for your mental health
best
NY BIENNALE ART
Dear Jane Jackson,
we are happy, you are a new entry.
And you are australian, nice to meet you.
You have the same name of an american artist!
Did you inform her?
The Director ll come to Sydney the next Monday and he would like to introduce to you the selected australian artists.
Can he meet you?
Please call him to [protected] to arrange a meeting
Please send us your phone number by this complaints, for any evinience.
We are waiting you phone number and don't forget to call him on Monday.
Have a nice day
We would like to inform you that the next selection will be held in Hong Kong and Japan.
Please inform those artists that is coming the Devil so they can save
Have a nice day
NY BIENNALE ART
Attention all artists/aspiring artists in Sydney, Australia. The above-named Pietro Franesi is in our country, and he's not here to do good deeds. He's here to take your money,
use and /or abuse you and rort the system. We will not let that happen. He's a man of no character, and instead of going to work like an ordinary person, he feels it's perfectly
fine to be sly, under-handed, totally dishonest and twist laws. Let's have him stopped before he really gets started.
Best Wishes,
Jane Jackson.
Dear Jane, write only one Australian artist who gave me one cent. thank you. I am waiting for your nice reply.
This post up there is just a long an "try to inspire fear" post. I never got any judiciary mail or whatsoever. I was accepted to the NYBA and can proove it with a mail I got from him (if he exists as a person, really) a few months ago. No exclusion was ever communicated, except by me expressing my own choice. If this NYBA did exists and was honest, it would proove it's legitimity instead of using methods of intimidation. I am an artist and, contrarely to the allegations in the post up there, I don't have "other interests" then exibiting my work, sharing experiences and selling some of my pieces. Here is my myspace and here is my mail.
www.myspace.com/francoiscliche
clifdesign@yahoo.com
If any other post was to implicate me in "judicial Bench seeking recognition of moral and material damages, produced by these disparaging, disgraceful activities" (citation from post above), I will immediatly contact the RCMP of Canada and ask for an investigation. It is my duty as a citizen to protect myself and others from crime when I am in position to do so, and I will.
Please do so on your side of the border, cause this NYBA seems to be well organised enough as a criminal organisation, not an event organisation. I can't proove it, I can only proove that the above allegations concerning me are false. I will let the autorities investigate about the very nature of this organisation.
Please contact me if I can help you anyhow to make this whole thing clearer. If the NYBA happens to be a honnest organisation, then I still wouldn't recommend participation to it since, if it's not criminal, it is (through experience) a poorly organised organisation with particularly unprofessionnal public relations.
Doing a website and putting links on the web don't make an organisation great, it only make it look great. Please be carefull (don't waste time and ideas, like me) and contribute as you can to resolve this situation. I never sent any money to the organisation and I would not recommend doing so.
I hope this will help a few people.
Sincerely
Francois Cliche
OFFICIAL REPORT
NY BIENNALE ART
( NYBA )
We have denounced Francesca Monachino for the following publication:
http://www.vansa.co.za/caution-alert-call-for-app;ications-new-york-biennale-art-international-contest
We have denounced the portal VANS that has published the above notice
without verifying the truthfulness of the allegations.
We have denounced the anonymous Artmaker, Mark, Tonny, artistny and
Avery 16 as written on:
http://www..NY Biennale Art — Pietro Franesi
We have denounced the site www.complaintsboard.com for having
published these texts without investigating the veracity of these
allegations.
These criminal acts have continued to be practiced despite the success
of the first section of the Biennale ONE NOT NOT September 27 and
October 25, 2009 in New York with the participation of the majority
of the artists published on our blog:
http://newyorkbiennaleart2009.blogspot.com/
where we have published the dates and locations of the various art
events in this Show.
We thought that after the facts demonstrated the inconsistency of
those charges, those people would disappear into silence. Instead,
when we just recently published the announcement of the new edition of
NYBA [protected], these people have returned to the allegations, going
so far as to write to individual galleries and individual artists
highlighting the links of these complaints.
Our Director is selecting the artists in many countries, including:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, England (London), Germany (Berlin),
India, Israel, Mongolia, Morocco, Russia, South Africa and Spain.
Some galleries have delivered to our Director the message text with
the links of the two complaints, which demonstrates that the
complaints are not only the personal initiatives of some artist
disappointed because not selected in the last edition, but also the
clear possibility that behind the anonymous complaints, there are
people hiding other economic interests.
On the high side, we have never hidden any of our activities or
policies. Our mission is to revolutionize the contemporary art market,
now controlled by a small number of people who are making contemporary
art works into a financial product with all the risks that are
connected with speculative hedge investing.
We know that many criticize our philosophy on how to make contemporary
art. We know that those who control the contemporary art market in
New York see us as a source of nuisance and destabilization. We are
delighted that their preoccupation with our work is increasing. We
accept the criticism because it helps to improve our business.
But we cannot accept the offensive and free denigration. We turned to
the Judicial Bench seeking recognition of moral and material damages
produced by these disparaging, disgraceful activities. This will
allow our detractors to bring evidence of their accusations and will
cleanse us of that air created around us that was dirty and noxious.
We also did this to maintain the integrity of the artists who
participated in or are participating in the Biennale (NYBA).
We even decided to stop NO YET ( July-August 2010) and the
international competitions.
We will strive to return the fees paid by participating artists to the
contests.
We suspended those activities because we could not work in the midst
of these so severe accusations and also to give serenity to our
curators, artists and collaborators.
They have to be sure to work with honest people.
We have confidence in justice and will accept any verdict. We
requested a few million dollars that we are committed to invest in the
second edition of the NYBA, [protected].
The selections will continue in every country and we are confident
that the next edition, “End and Over, ” will be better than the first
one. To all those who helped us, artists who have joined, thanks and
best wishes for new important successes in their careers.
Now expect the judiciary to play its role.
April, 2010
NY BIENNALE ART
Man, this little weasel's got some cahones. Per the recommendations above, I actually called NYFA and the mayor's office and neither have heard of this creep. His website carries on. According to the site, the NYBA has taken place. News to me. Never heard a word about it and I live in NY. To the original poster, I say congratulations for posting and thank you. You've done a great service to any and all who are approached in the future by this criminal . Upon digging around, I've come to believe that "Pietro" is part of the not-so-legitimate Florence Biennale (if he's not connected to it, he's modeled himself on it). Of course, it's playing off the moniker of the very well-known Venice Biennale. According to various posts by legitimate people (artists, academics, etc) they hook people with the promise of an exhibition, then hit people up for costs. "Oh, didn't I tell you that you need to rent this cubicle for $500?" You need a light bulb? $20, plus labor for installation. You need a table? $30, plus labor for delivery. And so on. If you examine the sites this guy has all over the internet -- youtube, flickr, etc. -- as well as the many links and seeming reviews and interviews, they are all originated with HIM. He puts links on his sites to make it appear as if there's advertising and various affiliations. But it's all a ruse. Total fraud. And then he has the audacity to post on this complaint board. My response is to tell everyone and anyone in the art world that I know. New York Biennale is a fraud. Pietro Franesi is a fraud. Pietro + Franesi + Biennale + NYBA + Fraud
Just an aside (and this relates to the Francois post above) while "Pietro" did not manage to swindle me out of my money, I did lose a great deal of time dealing with this ###-hat and ended up spending money on materials and months of studio time. That alone is legally actionable.
I will invite all people to participate at the next biennale art, september 27 - October 25, 2009.
You can see all info on www.nybiennaleart.org or http://nybiennaleart.blogspot.com
So will be clear who are the impostors.
About the last Mr Clinche we deleted him from the program.
That's all
Have a good week end and spend your time for your happyness
Pietro Franesi
Director
NY BIENNALE ART
I also got confirmed as an artist for the biennale and got no contact since a few weeks now. It feels ### to know that I sent him a very clear proposition of project that includes innovative concepts and lots of months of research. No fee was asked but maybe this man or woman is an active artist who does that to get fresh ideas, very well prepared and structured.
The event is in less then 2 weeks now and I have no idea where and how it will take place. I just cancel my participation, and take this as a very good lesson on the reality of concept protection over the web.
F.Cliche from Montreal.
I found this about the immaterialist:) an interview
http://www.art-report.com/de/features/interview-mit-dem-direktor-der-new-york-biennale-pietro-franesi
Pietro Franesi or whatever your real name is. You are an impostor.
Nobody knows who you really are because you don' t have a real
biography or even address on your web site . Maybe you are a criminal just laundering money with all
that bienalle bs. You are trying to make others think that you are a
big curator etc., but in reality you are nothing in the real art
world but a fake!
You have very bad karma because of your lies and deceit. Justice will
prevail
and your actions will backfire and create trouble for you.
You are pretentious little duce.
I am going to report you to Dun
& Bradstreet and the Better Business Bureau for your unethical
business practice. I hope they shut you down to protect others from
your deceptions.
.
All you bienalle stuff is completely nonsense, from the
unprofessional web site to the idiotic illiterate texts on it.
Get the ### out of NY. Sicilian jail is the place you belong
I too have, unfortunately, crossed paths with "Pietro Franesi." I seriously doubt that that is his real name. FYI, 515 West 25th Street in Chelsea (aka NY1Art, Centre for Contemporary Art Research) is a storage facility, NOT an art gallery. Rather than going into all the specifics of my interactions with this charlatan, I would advise any artist to contact NYFA (New York Foundation of the Arts @ [protected] and/or The NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs (a Branch of the Mayor's Office @ [protected]) and inquire about this individual and the NYBiennale. Keep in mind, an art fair the kind of which "Pietro" is proposing, would take a great deal of planning with the cooperation of the City of NY with the application of permits, licensing etc. If the Dept. of Cultural Affairs is not informed of the event, the "event" is not happening. Also, upon scrutinizing a number of the links above, particularly the so-called Contest sites, I would caution you to avoid anyone who is requiring that you submit a photo ID and/or a passport. Upon seeing THAT, I couldn't help but think this guy may be more nefarious than I initially thought. For what conceivable reason would there be for him to need that?! Run for the hills.
I looked up their web site. no contact info what so ever. i mean tel.nn, address
jus t emails.
Tonny
i have experienced the same trouble with them, only i have never received a new call to artists. i only occasionally get a reply from pietro telling me that he will have an update for me soon. well, soon has been 14 weeks since i heard from him last. i suspect this is an event that just never got off the ground as promised, and he is ducking for cover rather than facing it head on.
This complaints started on Nov 07, 2008.
Today is Sept. 29/2023.
15 years ago.
only one artist wrote her real name and liked my work.
all the others did not sign with their name but hid behind anonymity.
Why?
NYBA pissed off the old lobby that controlled the art market in New York and found some imbecile who with 50 dollars wrote falsehoods against me.
Unfortunately this site does not give the possibility to cancel falsehoods, even when they are proven.
Why?
Why then someone calls me and offers me to pay $ 7500 to delete the link from google searches.
that's the truth, complaintboard is just business about reouting people.
Shame on you.