Mega-gallery Hauser & Wirth and a now-liquidated art shipping company are facing trial over allegations of dodging UK sanctions. The gallery is accused of making George Condo’s 2021 work on paper, Escape from Humanity, available in 2022 to a person connected to Russia. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) filed the charge in November, with shipping firm Artay Rauchwerger Solomons facing a parallel allegation.
In a December hearing, a judge set a 10-day trial for January 2028, likely before a High Court judge at London’s Southwark Crown Court. The next hearing, on May 5, 2026, will see the defendants formally arraigned and their pleas entered.
Hauser & Wirth, which is headquartered in Switzerland and has 17 locations worldwide, declined to comment on the latest hearing, though it was keen to stress that “the collector concerned is not a sanctioned individual.” In November, the gallery told ARTnews: “As the case is ongoing, we are unable to comment further other than to say we strongly contest this charge and intend to plead not guilty.”
Artay Rauchwerger Solomons could not be reached for comment. The shipping company, founded in 1995 as Art Logistics Co., rebranded in 2023 and went into voluntary liquidation in April 2024, according to Companies House. The investigation, led by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)—the UK’s tax authority—is the first known corporate prosecution under the UK’s Russia Sanctions Regulations, and the first criminal case linked to the ban on supplying luxury goods to Russian-connected individuals.
The charges appear to relate to Regulation 46B of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The UK government made it illegal to offer luxury goods, including jewelry, art, cars, and antiques valued over £250 ($330), to individuals connected to Russia in April 2022. Breaches carry unlimited fines for companies and up to six months in prison for individuals. The European Union also implemented a ban on luxury goods exports as part of its sanctions against Russia in the same month. These moves were the result of Russia invading Ukraine.
HMRC has warned that British firms can run afoul of the law even when selling to Russian-owned companies abroad. “Companies exporting sanctioned goods to Central Asia or other regions where Russian companies operate should ensure the end-user is not Russian-owned,” the agency said in a November case study.
The prosecution underscores the growing regulatory scrutiny of the UK art market. Since 2021, galleries and auction houses, collectively known as Art Market Participants (AMPs), have been required to register with HMRC for anti-money laundering oversight, and more than 90 have faced regulatory action.
Since May 2025, AMPs must report any known or suspected breaches of financial sanctions to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), or risk criminal prosecution. This applies to art transactions worth €10,000 ($11,700) or more.
