Adam Lindemanowner of the New York gallery Venus Over Manhattan and son of a billionaire natural gas magnate, was arrested in Montauk, Long Island, and charged with third degree criminal trespass and second degree harassment.
According to Lindemann’s attorney, Edward Burke, Jr., the incident took place on July 5 and involved the dealer’s neighbor, former Marlborough Gallery manager Max Levai.
In small-town fashion, the events were announced in the weekly police newspaper of the East Hampton Press. At around 3:30 p.m., Lindemann allegedly entered a “building used as an art gallery” without permission through an open front door on which was posted a “No Trespassing” sign. The East Hampton Police Department could not immediately provide Hyperallergic with further information, but the local newspaper says authorities said Lindemann “also pushed another man in the chest with both hands.”
Lindemann owns Andy Warhol’s former Hamptons home, a 5.7-acre estate named Then on the south shore of Montauk. Lindemann bought the property for $48.7 million in 2015 and would have chose not to purchase the adjacent horse farm, which was offered under a compound deal with the Warhol estate.
Five years later, Levai purchased the ranch. The purchase came on the heels of a messy legal dispute surrounding Levai’s management of his father’s Marlborough Gallery. The gallery had accused Levai of fraud, defamation and criminal association And for follow-up him for $8 million. Levai counterattacked for $10 million. In 2021, he transformed his new horse farm in Montauk into a gallery called “The Ranch”.
Neither Levai nor “The Ranch” were named in the brief report, but Burke identified the gallery’s owner in his comments to news outlets, including Hyperallergic. Levai did not respond to inquiries.
When reached for comment, Lindemann called the incident a “ridiculous episode” and referenced Hyperallergic to Burke, who said the root of the problem “arises from Mr. Levai’s ongoing activities of operating a commercial business on residential and agricultural properties.” The lawyer did not provide further details, but added, “The word commercial needs to be emphasized here, as the supposed ‘no trespassing sign’ is being met with open doors and hundreds of people flocking to its property each week in accordance with a social media platform that advertises multiple events.”
Burke called the charges “absurd” and added that he “looks forward to having this case dismissed.”
Lindemann faces a misdemeanor charge for third-degree criminal trespassing and a second-degree harassment violation. Burke represented his client in court yesterday, July 19, and asked that the trial be moved. The new hearing will take place on August 3.
