UK Court Dismisses Russia Sanctions Case Against Hauser & Wirth

On May 5, a British court found Hauser & Wirth not guilty of breaching UK sanctions by selling a George Condo piece to an individual linked to Russia. Judge Tony Baumgardner at Southwark Crown Court dismissed the criminal charges against the gallery and the shipping firm Artay Rauchwerger Solomons, citing a lack of evidence that the buyer was a Russian resident during the transaction. The UK Crown Prosecution Service had filed charges in November after the sale of Condo's artwork "Escape From Humanity" (2021), which was allegedly offered between April and December 2022. Following the invasion of Ukraine, the UK prohibited luxury exports over £250 to Russia in April 2022, imposing severe penalties. Additionally, Hauser & Wirth announced plans to represent Condo again, with exhibitions scheduled for 2027 in Paris and Palo Alto, calling the timing coincidental. In a related matter, a British businessman faced a £28,000 fine on July 1 for attempting to send artworks to Russia, marking the first conviction under the luxury export ban.