Art
Major Warhol Collector Says Art Stash Being ‘Held Hostage’
- Mugrabi family says dispute bringing business to ‘standstill’
- Mana Contemporary refusing to release works, complaint says
The family that owns the largest private cache of Andy Warhol pieces says its business has been brought to a standstill by a company that’s holding more than 1,300 works in its art collection “hostage" at a New Jersey storage facility.
David Mugrabi, the son of New York dealer Jose Mugrabi, accused Mana Contemporary of preventing the family from removing any art from the storage facility in Jersey City since last month. Mana agreed in 2014 to store the collection in exchange for the Mugrabis’ recommendations of Mana’s services to their clients, according to a complaint filed Monday in New York state court. Mana wants more than $500,000 for storage fees, according to the complaint.