There are many reasons that can lead to an artwork being moved: the moment of acquisition, a change in the place of display, placing it in fine art storage, refurbishment of the premises, a loan for an exhibition, the moment of selling it. In all of these cases, taking an artistic object from the place where it is to another point – even within the same building – requires planning, experienced labour, and one further indispensable item: the packing.
Packing an artwork – whether a canvas, a sculpture or an installation – is an extremely specialised activity that requires knowledge of techniques and materials, and expertise, so that the object is effectively protected in the best possible way. In some cases, when the artwork is moved quickly and will not remain packed for long, so-called soft packing may be an alternative. This is a form of packing made with layers of cardboard, acrylic wadding and glassine paper, an acid-free product used worldwide in the conservation and housing of fragile materials.
For longer periods of housing or more extensive movements – for example, a journey by lorry or by plane, the ideal is to work with museum-standard crates. These are crates made to measure for each piece or group of pieces, designed to ensure that the object will remain stable and cushioned during transport, as well as protected from humidity, direct light and other risk factors. Crates such as these are made not only with wood, but also with special foams inside them.
In the case of large-scale sculptures, it is not always possible to house them whole inside a crate. This type of piece can be protected in a kind of slatted wooden crate, a structure that is also built to measure but open-sided, which protects the piece from impacts and assists with handling. And, of course, all the personnel involved in moving, packing and unpacking need to know the specific procedures for this activity and to wear gloves whenever they have to handle the objects directly.
Clé Reserva Contemporânea works in partnership with Art Quality, a company specialising in art transport, which maintains its own joinery workshop for building made-to-measure museum-standard crates and packing. Together, we offer a complete storage and movement solution for your pieces. Talk to one of our specialists.
