GWC Fine Art powered up with top of the line specialized assets
GWC Fine Art continue to exceed clients’ expectations by expanding on their asset pool, an expression of their continued commitment to provide institutional and private collectors, museums and galleries with the highest international standards of fine art logistics in the State of Qatar.
Most recently, GWC Fine Art unveiled two new trucks specifically designed for the fine art movements in accordance with the highest European standards. The 10-ton and 20-ton trucks were fitted with air ride suspension to absorb shocks at point of impact, keeping the contents inside stable. The interior has also been fitted with specialized flooring, and the walls have been lined with industry-specific load bars, allowing crates to be lashed and fixed to the walls, further reducing movement of the truck contents. With the additional temperature control measures in place within the vehicles, the transported artwork may be transported as needed without exposure to external factors and influences.
“GWC has become one of the rare in the region equipped to take on the highly specialized activity of transporting works of art by constantly adding to its warehousing and transportation assets in this way,” explained GWC Group CEO Mr. Ranjeev Menon. “It is one of the key factors that have developed the faith in our services as evidenced by the frequent contracts we continue to receive from some of Qatar’s most renowned museums, galleries and art collectors,” he added.
As a carrier, packer, customs broker, and airfreight agent, GWC Fine Art offers the best guarantee of care, discretion, security and efficiency for any move or installation request for a wide variety of fine art logistics requirements.
The company’s highly experienced sector professionals, from its customs clearers to its art handlers and installation specialists, have also contributed to GWC Fine Art strong reputation in the industry. This highly trained team has repeatedly displayed the dexterity and the coordination necessary to accomplish some of the largest art exhibitions and events in the country to date.
Among these exhibitions was the “Here There” exhibition at Al-Riwaq gallery, one of the initiatives of the Qatar-Brazil Year of Culture 2014. A travelling exhibition, GWC Fine Art coordinated with their team to bring 52 crates of artwork from the previous site in Oslo, Norway. Many of the art pieces were abstract in nature, such as the flag placed in the block of ice, or another named “Tunga”, which involved the suspension of a rock within a small, mirrored chamber. This therefore required specialized packing and installation skills both to preserve the pieces as well as display them as the original artists intended.
The company takes great pride in providing the infrastructure necessary for “firsts” to happen, as was the case when providing the solutions necessary for Renowned Iranian American visual artist Shirine Neshat’s first exhibition in the Middle East. GWC Fine Art handled every aspect of the exhibition, from collecting the shipment of 86 pieces in New York City, packing, shipping, clearing and installing them at Mathaf (the Arab Museum of Modern Art) in Doha, followed by providing the de-installation and re-export the pieces to New York.
While all art transportation is as challenging as some of the pieces themselves, the nature of the medium often dictates required special care. Such was the case for the Yousef Ahmad exhibition held in the Katara QM Gallery 10, which was composed entirely of dried palm leaves contorted and rolled into calligraphy and geometric shapes. 45 pieces were transported to the exhibition, 4 of which from Dubai, and one of which was so large that it would not immediately fit on the transports reserved for these types of operation. By carefully studying the dimensions of the piece, a packing solution allowed the piece to be tilted then packed, all the while assuring the integrity of the piece.
“With Qatar’s continuing investments with the avowed aim making the nation a repository of great art, GWC’s business in this sector is on an upward trajectory” stated GWC Group CEO Ranjeev Menon.
Its worth mentioning that GWC was the official logistics partner of “Mal Lawal” (From the Past) exhibition, which took place early in 2015. Antique radios, guns, daggers, pots, clothes, and other authentic collection gathered from the 5 GCC countries was displayed at the Doha Exhibition Center. More than 200 pieces were offered by private collectors and various donors who had not previously had a chance to display these collectibles before.
