Adam Lindemann announces the closure of Venus Over Manhattan, the gallery he founded in 2012 after a career as a contemporary art collector and writer. The gallery opened with a show titled "À Rebours," inspired by a novel about a decadent aristocrat, and featured works by Warhol, Hammons, and others—a show that famously saw a Dalí stolen from the wall. Over its 14-year run, Venus Over Manhattan mounted exhibitions including a Maurizio Cattelan show during a market lull, a Calder installation with spotlights and fans, and a show mixing African masterpieces with works by Koons, Prince, and Hirst. Lindemann reflects on the challenges of opening a gallery against advice, the theft that made international news, and the quiet validation he received from artists like David Hammons.
Lindemann’s decision to close Venus Over Manhattan marks the end of a notable, if unconventional, chapter in the New York gallery scene. The gallery was known for its idiosyncratic, curatorially ambitious shows that often blended historical and contemporary art, and for Lindemann’s own high-profile background as a collector and journalist. Its closure reflects the ongoing pressures and shifts in the mid-tier gallery market, where even well-connected dealers face challenges sustaining a space. The story also underscores the blurred lines between collecting, dealing, and criticism in the contemporary art world, and how personal passion projects can both thrive and struggle against commercial realities.