In honor of Art Basel 39, the IHT devotes a lot of space to AXA’s point of view on art. Something to think about after the jump:

“Artworks can break, but they can also suffer deterioration due to the inherent vice in their materials,” said Thomas Wessel, the insurer’s director for art expertise management. “Only 5 percent of the world’s artworks will survive the next 100 years. The remaining 95 percent, in museums and in the trade, is exposed to increasing environmental stresses, and without immediate intervention and curatorial measures, will not last.”