It is a well-known fact that to transport artwork to a gallery or art fair without damaging it, you need to possess certain skills. You might think transporting a couple of paintings by yourself is relatively easy. All you need to do is move a piece from one location to another, right? But simply moving an item from point A to point B is not everything there is to art transportation. To tackle the various challenges that one might run into when dealing with shipping works of art, most people opt for the help of fine art logistics companies. But do you really need professional assistance when moving art to a gallery?
Do You Need Professional Help When Moving Art to a Gallery?
Whether you should hire professional services or can manage without them highly depends on the specific characteristics of your situation. First of all, you have to consider the value of your artwork. If it is expensive or rare, like most gallery-worthy pieces, you will definitely need the assistance of experts. Amateur handling of high-value works of art will most likely result in a catastrophe that will be almost impossible to repair.
But what services do you need when moving art to a gallery? Well, there are quite a lot of options to choose from, but some of the most common ones are packing, crating, insurance, and installation.
In some cases, packing artwork by yourself is completely justifiable. For example, emerging artists who cannot afford to hire art handlers to pack their works often do it themselves. However, beginner-level mistakes are not acceptable when dealing with high-value pieces. Besides, some kinds of art packaging can only be provided by professionals. For example, custom art shipping crates, which are often used for shipping fragile and delicate items, cannot be built by someone inexperienced. The same goes for art installation — a poorly installed artwork is a ticking time bomb that may go off when you least expect it (for example, in the middle of a gallery opening).
Something that definitely requires professional attention is art insurance because there is no way you can get one without contacting an insurance company. Nevertheless, insuring your collection is the smartest decision you can make, and you should never forgo it.
To conclude, no matter your situation, it is always a good idea to enlist professional help when moving art to a gallery. Today, there are plenty of cost-efficient options available for all kinds of budgets.