Amanita, a New York art gallery, is presenting three Maiasaura dinosaur fossils alongside a John Chamberlain sculpture in an exhibition titled "Land Before Time: Three Dinosaurs and a Gondola" at its Bowery location through August 9. The fossils, sourced from Tucson-based Granada Gallery, include an 85 percent complete adolescent, a 68 percent complete adult, and a 62 percent complete juvenile—marking the first time a full Maiasaura growth cycle has been displayed. The Chamberlain piece, "Gondola Marianne Moore" (1982), was procured with help from Hauser and Wirth. Only the fossils are for sale, with prices undisclosed.
This exhibition matters because it signals a growing convergence between the fine art market and natural history, as commercial galleries increasingly sell dinosaur fossils—a trend accelerated by high-profile auction sales at Christie's. By bringing these relics into a public gallery setting, Amanita aims to address controversies around private ownership of fossils while resetting market expectations. The show also highlights the formal and conceptual dialogue between prehistoric remains and contemporary sculpture, raising questions about value, provenance, and the evolving scrutiny of such transactions in the art world.