The newest batch of paperwork launched by the Division of Justice as a part of the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act contains references to 2 main artwork collectors, Steve Tisch and Jean Pigozzi. The DOJ’s library of paperwork have been added to over the previous a number of days, with the most recent replace occurring on Saturday, January 31.
The paperwork, primarily within the type of emails despatched round 2013, seem to point out convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein connecting Tisch, a movie producer and co-owner of the New York Giants, with a number of ladies. The information was first reported on by the Athletic.
In a single e mail chain, from April 2013, which has the topic line “Ukrainian Woman,” Tisch asks Epstein if he is aware of any details about his “assistant’s good friend,” who he lately had lunch with. Epstein replied that he “will get all the information,” with Tisch later saying “professional or civilian?” Epstein replies at one level, “civilian, however Russian, and infrequently tells the total fact, however enjoyable.”
In a totally different set of emails, from Might 1, 2013, Tisch and Epstein correspond about assembly up that night. At one level, Tisch writes, “Can I anticipate ‘hassle’?” Epstein replies, “I can invite the russian [redacted] to fulfill when you like?” Tisch writes again, “Is she enjoyable?” Later within the chain, Epstein writes, “she is free after 1030 she mentioned, you possibly can meet her, you possibly can come over first.”
In an e mail chain from Might 15–16, 2013, Tisch asks a lady whose identify has been redacted if she can be concerned with assembly in Boston. Tisch doesn’t obtain a reply and forwards the correspondence to Epstein, who replies, “she is touring. undecided when she returns to florida. she is a micro biology main and continues to be in college, so i doubt that she may journey through the week, however we’ll see. you also needs to make it clear that you’ll orgaznie her ticket.” Tisch later writes again, “By no means heard again from her / Oh nicely…”
In a 2017 e mail chain, Tisch writes to Epstein, asking how he’s and that he hopes Epstein is “having an excellent Summer season.” Epstein replied, “Come go to.” Different paperwork level to Tisch inviting Epstein to Giants video games in addition to different conferences over meals.
In an announcement despatched to the Athletic about his affiliations with Epstein, Tisch mentioned, “We had a short affiliation the place we exchanged emails about grownup ladies, and as well as, we mentioned films, philanthropy, and investments. I didn’t take him up on any of his invites and by no means went to his island. As everyone knows now, he was a horrible particular person and somebody I deeply remorse associating with.”
Tisch can also be a significant collector of latest artwork, having appeared on ARTnews’s High 200 Collectors checklist from 2016 to 2024. A 2016 New York Occasions article revealed that he had created a 4,5000-square-foot non-public museum to host his assortment within the yard of his Los Angeles residence. Michael Govan, the director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Artwork, the place Tisch is a trustee, curated the preliminary cling. In 2011, he additionally donated funds to assist LACMA purchase Christian Marclay’s 24-hour video work The Clock (2010).
Pigozzi’s connections to Epstein are at the moment circulating on-line through a 2009 e mail between Epstein and publicist Peggy Siegal, by which Siegal writes, “Simply left Ghislaine’s townhouse…after social gathering for movie. Invoice Clinton and Jeff Bezos had been there…Jean Pigozzi, director Mira Nair…and so on.”
The correspondence, additionally made in 2013, between Epstein and Pigozzi ranges from emails by which Pigozzi asks if Epstein is planning to go to the south of France that summer season to emails the place the talk about the looks of various ladies. Within the latter e mail chain, Pigozzi wrote, “I just like the crimson head. Appear enjoyable and sensible.” Epstein replied, “german jew.” Pigozzi then replied, “I like her / No tits. Small drawback / Did Leon like her ?” (Pigozzi seems to be referring to fellow artwork collector Leon Black, whose connections to Epstein have been nicely documented.)
In one other e mail chain, Pigozzi responds to an e mail from Epstein by which he despatched a picture (the picture will not be reproduced within the file): “Seems wonderful / Can’t see any women ???”
The paperwork additionally embrace a 2010 e mail chain between Pigozzi and “Gmax,” most probably Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime affiliate who was convicted of kid intercourse trafficking in 2021. “Gmax” asks Pigozzi if he’s planning to promote his properties in Panama and France, including “If that’s the case value. Have potential social gathering”; Pigozzi asks for a cellphone name earlier than writing that the France property is 22.5 acres and that it “MUST BE OVER EURO 300M,” whereas for the Panama property, his asking value can be “OVER $ 150 M JUST THE ISLAND 270 ACRES.”
In a cellphone name, Pigozzi informed ARTnews that he didn’t keep in mind any correspondence between him and Epstein a couple of “crimson head.” Concerning the costs for his Panama and France properties, he mentioned he was not concerned with promoting it on the time, including “I gave him some ridiculous value.”
Of his connections with Epstein, Pigozzi mentioned, “I by no means had something to do with him and women. Zero. Nothing. I additionally remorse that I met him and Ghislaine.”
Pigozzi informed ARTnews that he discovered his work within the artwork world a extra fascinating subject of dialog than “these silly emails. I don’t discover it so fascinating.” Pigozzi is a significant collector of African artwork, with a deal with images from the continent. He first began accumulating in 1989 after seeing the Centre Pompidou’s influential “Magiciens de la Terre” exhibition that 12 months.
Within the many years since, he has amassed 1000’s of works from greater than 160 artists from 22 sub-Saharan African international locations, in line with the assortment’s web site. The gathering is at the moment primarily based in Geneva however doesn’t have a everlasting exhibition area, although he informed ARTnews he’s at the moment at work constructing an area in Cannes.
In 2019, Pigozzi donated 45 works of latest African artwork to the Museum of Fashionable Artwork in New York. The present included items by Seydou Keïta, Romuald Hazoumè, Bodys Isek Kingelez, Moké, Chéri Samba, Ambroise Ngaimoko/Studio 3Z, and Frédéric Bruly Bouabré. On the time, MoMA known as the donation “transformative” as it will make the museum “a singular institutional chief on this facet of latest African artwork.”
Pigozzi’s holdings embrace dozens of images by Keïta, a lot of that are at the moment on view in a survey of the late photographer’s work on the Brooklyn Museum. The Jean Pigozzi African Artwork Assortment is particularly thanked within the exhibition’s credit.
