Art

Five ‘Hostage’ Paintings Ordered Freed in N.J. Storage Dispute

Mugrabi claims Mana Contemporary holding up its business
Judge orders some works released and Mugrabis to post bond

David Mugrabi
Photographer: Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

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By Chris Dolmetsch

October 25, 2017 at 4:41 PM UTC

A well-known New York art-dealer family won the freedom for five paintings in a legal dispute over more than 1,300 works in its collection it claims are being held "hostage" at a storage facility in New Jersey.

New York Supreme Court Justice O. Peter Sherwood ordered Mana Contemporary on Tuesday to release five pieces of art in the Mugrabi family’s collection or surrender the entire collection. The Mugrabi family was ordered to post a $1 million bond. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 27.