Why artists' works held in storage can be seized when a gallery goes bust

A series of UK gallery insolvencies—including Stephen Friedman Gallery entering administration in February, following Blain Southern (2019), Simon Lee Gallery (2023), and Arusha Gallery (2025)—has highlighted how artists can lose access to works held in third-party storage. Under English law, storage providers may rely on a contractual “lien” agreed to by the gallery, allowing them to retain artworks until unpaid storage charges are settled, even when the artist still owns the works and did not incur the debt. The article explains that because artists consign work to galleries as agents, storage firms may argue the gallery had “apparent” authority to bind artists to such terms. It concludes that whether refusing release constitutes wrongful interference with an artist’s title is a legal grey area, underscoring the risks of relying on galleries for storage.

Read the full article at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events