Why artists' works held in storage can be seized when a gallery goes bust
The article examines a legal loophole in the UK where artists' works held in third-party storage by a gallery can be seized when the gallery goes bust. It cites recent gallery insolvencies—Stephen Friedman Gallery (2025), Blain Southern (2019), Simon Lee Gallery (2023), and Arusha Gallery (2025)—and explains that storage providers can assert a lien on artworks for unpaid fees incurred by the gallery, even though the artist owns the works and never agreed to the terms. This creates a situation where artists must pay the gallery's debts to reclaim their own property, or face costly legal battles.