Centre Georges Pompidou

Aylin Seçkin's unusual academic specialty all started when she visited Centre Pompidou in Paris. Amazed by the museum's abundant collection of contemporary artwork, her scientific mind quickly drew connections between economics, statistics and the value of such artistic capital.

A bronze portrait of American heiress and political activist Nancy Cunard sculpted by Romanian-born French artist Constantin Brancusi went under the hammer on Tuesday at Christie's in New York, and was sold for 71 million dollars.

In 1971, 34-year-old Renzo Piano and his contemporaries Richard Rogers from the UK and Gianfranco Franchini from Italy pulled the rug out from under the architectural world when they were awarded the construction of the grandiose Centre Pompidou in Paris.

A Picasso painting stolen from the Georges Pompidou center in Paris in 2001 was discovered in the United States, where it was sent as… a Christmas gift, according to New York’s judicial authorities.

The painting is valued at many a million dollars, according to the Brooklyn D.A. It is estimated at 30 million euros.