In her will, Annette provided for the establishment of a Giacometti foundation, to be managed by the U.S.-born Mary Lisa Palmer, who was Giacometti's secretary for over 20 years. Annette Giacometti had provided funds for a future foundation and bought a $2.5-million building to house the collection.
The French culture ministry, however, has blocked the formation of a foundation, saying its mission needs to be clarified. In addition, Bruno Giacometti, the brother of the artist, as well as the nephews of Alberto's sister are feuding with Palmer over the disposition of the estate. Palmer is presently pursuing a court case claiming that Annette invested her with the moral right to oversee Alberto Giacometti's works.
The culture ministry probably harbors fears that a foundation could be mismanaged. Recent scandals have hit both the Vasarely and Jan Arp foundations, with the former facing charges of mismanagement and the latter accused of being literally ransacked, with dozens of Arp plasters being sent to Germany without official authorization.
The Giacometti estate's legal heirs are Annette's two brothers, Michel and Claude Arm, who live in Switzerland. They are required to pay death duties on the estate, however, amounting to 45 percent of the estate's value. The Arm brothers could conceivably sell part of the collection at auction to pay the taxes. Or they could be allowed, according to the special French tax provision called "dation," to give the nation a 45 percent share of the collection. This would be an ideal solution for French museums, many of which have few Giacometti works in their collection.
Meanwhile, Giacometti's works have been stored in a safe place and might remain inaccessible to the public for quite a long time.