Max Levai Bets on Scale—and Himself—with New Chelsea Gallery

Max Levai is expanding into Chelsea at a moment when much of the market is pulling back.The former president of Marlborough Gallery will open a 7,000-square-foot flagship at 529 West 20th Street this fall, his first permanent New York space after several years of operating between pop-ups, international projects like his presentation of works by Frank Auerbach at the 2024 Venice Biennale, and his Montauk compound, The Ranch.“Having a gallery that is permanent… has been on my mind fo