Hamptons art centre sued over large shipping container sculpture

The town of East Hampton has sued over “Meditating Figure (2026),” a nearly 60-foot-tall sculpture made from 12 decommissioned shipping containers by Los Angeles artist Matt Johnson, installed at the Ranch in East Montauk. The work appears in “LA Monumental,” an exhibition running until 15 November and also featuring Nancy Rubins and Paul McCarthy, staged on property owned by art consultant Max Levai, who bought it in 2021. East Hampton alleges the sculpture qualifies as a structure requiring permits and inspections, bringing four charges: violation of a conservation easement, failure to obtain a building permit, failure to obtain architectural review board approval, and failure to obtain a certificate of occupancy. The town board voted 4–1 on 7 July to authorize legal action, and on 31 July the town secured a stay barring further construction or demolition on the property; claims against Johnson were later dropped, though Levai and the Ranch remain defendants.

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