The Nature Conservancy sues Adam Lindemann over sculpture installation

The Nature Conservancy has filed a lawsuit against art dealer Adam Lindemann in New York’s Eastern District. The nonprofit alleges that Lindemann installed a 25-foot-tall sculpture by Julian Schnabel, titled ‘Ahab’, on a protected preserve in Montauk, Long Island, without authorization.

The dispute involves the Andy Warhol Visual Arts Preserve, a property donated to the conservancy in 1992 by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The conservancy is tasked with preserving the ecologically significant Montauk Moorlands. Lindemann owns the adjacent six-acre estate, Eothen, which he purchased for $50 million in 2015.

The lawsuit claims that despite previous requests for removal and an agreement to move the sculpture by August 31, 2025, the artwork remains on the protected land. The conservancy is also seeking legal action regarding Lindemann’s alleged unauthorized use of the preserve, including parking personal vehicles, mowing lawns, and planting shrubs on the property. The nonprofit is requesting a jury trial and an injunction to prevent Lindemann from entering the preserve.