As the world watches in dismay the unfolding of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, professionals and institutions connected with the arts and with heritage preservation have been working to try to put Ukrainian collections beyond the reach of possible bombing. One of the most significant mobilisations has been taking place in France – and with the decisive involvement of Chenue, the French company that is a partner of Clé Reserva Contemporânea in Brazil.
At the end of March, around 200 French professionals joined forces to gather packing, humidity control and fire protection materials destined for Ukrainian institutions. Chenue made one of its warehouses in Paris available to receive the donations sent by around 20 French museums. It was quickly possible to bring together some 15 tonnes of material, enough to fill a lorry.
Chenue once again stepped in, carrying out the transport of the donations to Warsaw, in Poland, where another group of cultural professionals is organising the delivery to Ukrainian museums. The mobilisation continues in Paris in order to obtain enough material for a second and a third convoy, as there are hundreds of museums in need of material to pack and protect artworks and artefacts.
This is not the first time Chenue has played a decisive role in the face of major tragedies and crisis situations. In 1919 and in 1939, the company was called upon to evacuate the Louvre during the First and Second World Wars. In 2019, shortly after the Notre-Dame fire, Chenue was responsible for rescuing the artworks that remained inside the Cathedral and for storing them in a warehouse in Saint-Denis.
The rigour and tradition of Chenue's work are present in Brazil through Clé Reserva Contemporânea, in which the French company is a partner, together with the Brazilian company Expomus. Find out more about this partnership here.
