Lp art the guide

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A GUIDE TO TRANSPORTING WORKS OF ART AND EXHIBITIONS


Contents A GUIDE TO TRANSPORTING WORKS OF ART AND EXHIBITIONS


Foreword How to know what skills are involved in transporting works of arts and exhibitions

Transportation methods How to assess transportation constraints

Packing A crate or protective packaging

Warehousing Where can you store works in all safety

Handling and moving Why is handling works of art a genuine profession

Fine arts and customs formalities Formalities required

Exhibition service How to coordinate the transportation of works of art

Assistance at the airport How to assist the courier and supervise departures and arrivals

Gallery and private owner service How to limit costs

Estimates and orders How to request an estimate


FOREWORD

How to know what skills are involved in transporting works of arts and exhibitions ? Are you a museum curator, a gallery owner, or an exhibition organizer ? Are you in charge of transport at a museum or cultural institution ? Do you courier works of art on behalf of a museum ? Are you a collector or an artist’s representative ? Are you a restorer ? Are you one of our foreign correspondents ? All of the above, in different ways, are involved in transporting works of art. Whether you are a client or partner, a borrower or lender, whether you make decisions or implement them, you are faced by technical problems and urgent situations that we are used to dealing with. Our advice may be useful. We hope that this LP ART Guide will be a practical information tool for you.


TRANSPORTING WORKS OF ART IS A COMPLEX ACTIVITY Every work of art is unique and irreplaceable. Most journeys create specific and even totally new situations in terms of the volume carried, the formalities to be completed, security, costs and deadlines. These are customized operations that require the involvement and coordination of several different skills.

« Gauguin - Tahiti », Grand Palais, 2004.

PACKING : can range from a simple protective covering to packing in an insulated crate. TRANSPORT : includes routing all over the world (by truck, aircraft, boat or train) and progress monitoring. HANDLING AND MOVING : describes all forms of mechanical and manual handling needed to move and install a work. WAREHOUSING : storage on demand of works or crates in a high-security warehouse. FINE ARTS AND CUSTOMS FORMALITIES : the procedures enabling the circulation of works of art. SECURITY FOR AIR FREIGHT : security procedures that LP ART applies as holder of an authorized agent certification (formerly known dispatcher). AIRPORT ASSISTANCE : all the guarantees that our permanent office at Roissy Airport provides in terms of air freight and accompanying escorts.

TRANSPORTING EXHIBITIONS DEMANDS COMPLETE COORDINATION Works are often moved for exhibitions, sometimes travelling all over the world. Moving exhibitions involves a series of customized operations : transport coordination requires organizational skills and teamwork that can only be provided by a genuine specialist. This coordination represents a unique and specialized service.

Sculpture by Dubuffet, « Champs de la sculpture », Paris, 1996.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1

Foreword

Why LP ART has produced a practical guide


Why LP ART has produced a practical guide

BECAUSE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUR PRIORITY We always have to deal with the work and its owner, accompanying the work physically during its actual trip, and the owner psychologically, as he follows the work in his mind. From the order to delivery, including all the documentation, we have to keep contact with our clients and partners. The quality of our service is judged by the attention we pay to the smallest detail, beginning with our accessibility. As a modern, highly structured, medium-sized company, we at LP ART firmly believe in customer service.

BECAUSE WE HAVE A LEGAL OBLIGATION We have to meet two requirements : the works must be in good condition on arrival and we must comply with the deadlines (i.e. the insurance expiration date as set by the principal). However, we also have a role to play as advisers : for the transportation of works of art as in other businesses, this means offering all our clients the highest standard of quality at the best possible value, whether the client is a museum curator, a gallery owner or a private collector.

BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE TO CONTROL COSTS Unforeseen costs are often due to additional demands by the lender (for example a double crate instead of a single crate) or the borrower (for example changing the date for the work to be moved) not to mention cases of force majeure (storms, snow-covered roads, etc). Whatever the reason, the client is always kept fully informed. However, client expectations keep increasing and competition is a constant factor. It is important to be able to anticipate costs : to do so, a transport firm must be thoroughly familiar with the museum’s or gallery’s works, with transportation and handling techniques and with all the parties involved.

2 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


BECAUSE DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR BUSINESS CONCERN ALL THOSE INVOLVED Our business has gone through at least four major changes in the recent past. The first is the museums’ involvement in preventive conservation. The second is technical development : crates, trucks and handling operations are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The third is the urgent nature of our work : the people we work with constantly ask us to shorten intervention times. The fourth is the increasingly complex level of public regulations, especially in the field of security. The people we work with (organizers and transport managers in galleries, museums and major institutions) are subject to the same technical constraints and short deadlines as us.

« St. Francis of Assisi », Giotto, Louvre, Painting Department.

BECAUSE TOGETHER WE CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE Our clients tend to overestimate the savings that they can make. We are here to advise them about the requirements imposed by the lenders we have experience working with. However, we must go further : we have to explain clearly the constraints of our business and the role of each party involved. With our focus on customer service, we are innovating in terms of reciprocal information, as shown by this art guide to transporting works of art and exhibitions.

BECAUSE YOU ALL NEED PRACTICAL INFORMATION Your knowledge, needs and interests obviously vary according to your situation and your transport operations. This guide is designed to be practical and useful. You will easily find concrete answers to your questions about transporting works of art and exhibitions, and the methods used by our company LP ART. You will also find definitions of the technical terms commonly used in our business, influenced as they are by arts and crafts, museums, administrative concerns and logistics.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2

Foreword

Why LP ART has produced a practical guide


Why LP ART has produced a practical guide

THE LP ART COMPANY Our company, which was set up in 1992, now occupies a dominant position on the market for transportation of works of art. The quality of our services is widely recognized, with the greatest museums in the world working with us. As a carrier, packer, customs broker, air freight agent, and authorized agent for freight security, we offer the best guarantee of discretion, security and efficiency for any transport request from a museum, gallery or private owner. Our services are flexible : we can offer an exhibition service or a gallery and private owner service depending on the type of demand. In all cases, our staff are driven by two corporate values : customer service and cost-effectiveness.

THE LP ART TEAMS IN PARIS IN Exhibitions department

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3 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


THE LOCAL LP ART AGENCIES Lyon

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Nice

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Each local LP ART agency has a general warehouse covering 400 sq. m, protected by an alarm system, with an air conditioned strongroom covering at least 150 sq. m, a fine art truck and two drivers/installers.

We also have an office in Cairo, Egypt : 1 manager, 1 coordinator, 1 customs declaration clerk, 2 packers.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 3

Foreword

Why LP ART has produced a practical guide


TRANSPORT

How to assess transportation constraints ? You’re sending a picture to Berlin: should it go by air or road ? You’re lending a Dubuffet sculpture to a museum in São Paulo : should it go by air or sea ? Between Paris and Sydney, is it better to change planes in Frankfurt or Singapore ? Each transport method - road, air, sea or even rail for small hand luggage items - has its advantages and sometimes its drawbacks. The right choice will depend on : - the type of work and its bulk once packed - the means of transport existing between the starting point and the destination - the possible routes - the time you have to complete the operation - the presence or absence of a courier Prior assessment of these constraints is vital to avoid surprises. In each case, our role is to advise you.


THE TRUCKER’S PROFESSION IN FRANCE Transport is a profession that is strictly regulated in France. You must check that the carrier you choose is registered on the carriers register and that the head of the company has a transport licence. If it belongs to a professional association like the FFOCT (Fédération Française des Organisateurs et Commissionnaires en Transport), this will be another sign that the company complies with road transport regulations. Bear in mind, for instance, that all our HGV drivers have taken the FIMO (Obligatory minimum initial training) course beforehand ; it lasts 156 hours spread over 4 weeks. Furthermore, every five years, they have to take FCOS refresher courses lasting 24 hours and spread over 3 days.

WHAT IS AN ART TRANSPORT VEHICLE ? The criteria are obviously not the same if the work transported is a Calder sculpture or an oil painting on wood, but the experts agree that an art transport vehicle should have the following characteristics : > alarm and circuit-breaker in the truck > padding and air-ride suspension > air-conditioning maintaining the temperature between 18 and 20°C > seat available for the courier (if one is present) > a GSM telephone and a satellite-based location system > depending on the assignment, a liftgate and other necessary equipment It is standard practice in the business to have two drivers. The choice of the type of vehicle depends on the weight and dimensions of the work and its packing.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1

Transportation methods

Road transport


Road transport

USEFUL LOADS AND INTERNAL DIMENSIONS OF SOME TYPICAL TRUCKS Type

Useful load

Inside length

Inside width

Inside height

Surface Seats area* VT P

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35 cu.

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50 cu.

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20 cu.

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25 cu.

80 cu.

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(Articulated truck) * SURFACE AREA : in our business, we very rarely stack crates. Thus, the usable surface area inside the vehicle reflects practical usable space rather than total volume.

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2 • LP ART TH E GU I DE

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Transportation methods

Road transport

HOW TO OPTIMIZE ROUTING ? A work should travel the shortest possible distance. Having laid down this principle, we have to be ingenious and think ahead, while complying with the regulations. We take the following factors into account : > naturally, the collection and delivery times specified by the lender or borrower and aircraft departure and arrival times, > the time spent on site (packing, unpacking, handling), plus the loading and unloading time, > the distance from a secure location for overnight storage (police station, warehouse protected by an alarm), > the foreseeable average speed (rarely more than 70 kilometers per hour by road), > the regulatory driving times as determined by each country, > traffic and parking regulations in large cities: in particular, it is important to know the times when collections and deliveries can be made, > the information provided by DOP, LP ART’s own computerized dispatching and reservation system, > the regular routes set up by LP ART.

DRIVING TIMES AUTHORIZED PER DRIVER Time groups

Minimum and maximum standards

Continuous driving

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Daily driving period

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Weekly driving

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LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2


Road transport

Traffic, collections and deliveries in Paris The regulations in Paris are complex. Traffic, stopping and parking are authorized for all vehicles between 9.30 pm and 7.30 am. Outside this night-time period, the time slots authorized during the day depend on the vehicle’s surface area on the basis of three thresholds : 12, 16 and 20 square meters. Vehicles with a surface area of less than 20 square meters can apply for authorization to make collections between 4 pm. and 9.30 pm. However, there are systematic waivers for certain categories of activity without any surface area restrictions. In practice, the transportation of works of art is considered as equivalent to funds transfers. We can therefore drive around Paris, collect and deliver at any time.

HOW TO ORGANIZE AN EXCEPTIONAL TRANSPORT ? Depending on the load’s characteristics, we provide the technical facilities (flatbed truck and crane) and deal with the authorization applications. Abnormal loads are classified in three categories according to the weight, width and length. The routing constraints and accompaniment vary according to the category. Vehicles less than 25 meters long and 3 meters wide do not require any accompaniment ; otherwise, depending on the case, a pilot car, an accompanying car or a motorcycle escort is required (French circular 75-173 dated 19 November 1975).

3 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Transportation methods

Air freight LP ART’S AIR FREIGHT KNOW-HOW There are many different scheduled commercial airlines. Their destinations, aircraft types, services and freight zone organization methods vary a great deal. How do you find your way around, negotiate and ensure loading on the right flight ? For all these aspects, and especially for freight security, LP ART’s know-how is widely acknowledged and appreciated. This service is based on both our staff being permanently on hand at the airport and on a special infrastructure and facilities : > a permanent office at Roissy and shuttle vehicles, > an IATA freight agent’s licence enabling us to issue air waybills and supervise dispatch directly, > a customs broker’s licence enabling us to carry out all customs operations at the airport, particularly issuing transit bonds for any destination, > badges giving us access to all areas of the airport, > Authorized agent certification for freight security, as issued by the DGAC (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile - French Civil Aviation Authority ). In practical terms, this certification enables us to deliver freight to the airport 4 or 5 hours before the flight is due to leave.

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEALING WITH AIRLINES > Reservation : the rule is never to make a freight reservation before knowing the exact dimensions of the crates. However, it is desirable to make a preliminary reservation for large volumes (more than 10 cu. m). On Air France, for instance, reservations can not be made more than thirteen working days before the flight departure. > Type of aircraft and pallets : aircraft, like trucks, have different capacities. Generally speaking, we only load works of art on palletized flights (i.e. the crates are loaded and secured on to a pallet), after ensuring that the crate dimensions, particularly the height, are acceptable for the aircraft used for the chosen flight. Sometimes, crates are secured inside containers.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 3


Air freight

> Flight itinerary : be careful of stopovers, when your freight can be accidentally unloaded. A direct flight may actually involve several stopovers. Non-stop flights are preferable. > Departure and arrival times : cargo flights no longer have precise takeoff and landing times. If a flight is delayed, all necessary steps must be taken to ensure the security of the work under customs authority. > Delivery deadlines for departure : bear in mind that, depending on the airline and the airport, you may be required to deliver the freight up to twenty-four hours in advance, unless you have authorized agent status. > Collection deadlines on arrival : the LP ART team at Roissy generally makes sure that you recover your crates in two hours. However, this represents exceptional treatment; ordinarily, airlines do not endeavor to make your freight available within less than 24 hours. > Hand luggage : remember that the captain of the aircraft is in sole command and, on safety grounds, he has the right to refuse your hand luggage because of its size or contents (even if you have reserved and paid for an extra seat). The rule is that the three dimensions of an item of hand luggage must not measure more than 1.15 meters in total. However, surprises are by no means rare at departure time. You should inform the airline of the size of your handcarry when you book. Also bear in mind that all hand luggage must now be checked: either using X-rays, or visually. Hand luggage is opened much more frequently than in the past. > The escort : couriers can travel on some cargo planes but the number of seats is limited (usually no more than three). Bear in mind, for instance, that a person accompanying a live animal will have priority over you and your work of art. > The price : airlines used to charge by the kilogram (weight-cubic capacity or actual weight). However, nowadays, especially for large consignments, charges are calculated on the basis of the « position » occupied, in other words by the pallet and according to the pallet type. If you’re not in a hurry and the exact routing of your consignment is unimportant, you can use the services of air consolidated companies offering unbeatable prices… but with no real possibility of recourse if there is a problem.

4 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Transportation methods

Air freight

AIR FREIGHT LOADING CHARACTERISTICS ACCORDING TO THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT Aircraft model

Maximum height*

Type of loading

Fokker 28

Hold : 55 cm

Bulk

Airbus 3 0

Hold : 163 cm

Ten-foot pallets and containers

Airbus 300 or 310 Passenger

Hold : 163 cm

Ten-foot pallets and containers

Airbus 320 or 321 Passenger

Hold : 114 cm

PKC extension pallets and AKH containers

Airbus 340 Passenger

Hold : 163 cm

Ten-foot pallets and containers

Boeing 737 Passenger

Hold : 86 cm

Bulk

Boeing 737 Cargo

Main deck : 208 cm

Ten-foot pallets and containers Bulk

Hold : 86 cm

Boeing 747 Passenger

Hold : 163 cm

Ten-foot pallets and containers

Boeing 747 Cargo

Main deck : - nose : 244 cm - side door : 300 cm Hold : 163 cm

Ten and twenty-foot pallets and B747 Cargo pallets Ten-foot pallets and containers

Boeing 747 Combined

Main deck : 300 cm Hold : 163 cm

Ten and twenty-foot pallets Ten-foot pallets and containers

Boeing 767 Passenger

Hold : 163 cm

Ten-foot pallets and containers

Boeing 777 Passenger

Hold : 163 cm

Ten-foot pallets and containers

* These heights are indications and may vary slightly from one airline to another.

Note : although airlines undertake to have pressurized holds at a moderate temperature, the temperature can fall below 10°C.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 4


Air freight

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PALLETIZATION Palletization refers to loading on a pallet (open) or in a container (closed). Palletization, which we supervise systematically in the airport freight area, consists of placing one or more crates on a metal base (previously insulated with plastic film) and attaching them firmly (under another plastic film) using netting secured to the pallet with hooks. There is a wide range of pallets and containers of different sizes depending on the special uses they are designed for. Each type is designated by an international code name. Depending on the aircraft model and type (passenger, cargo or combined), the freight is loaded on types of pallets and containers compatible with the dimensions and shape of the aircraft fuselage. According to the freight to be loaded, the airline chooses the types of pallets and containers and allocates them positions in the hold (and on the main deck in cargo planes). To keep things simple, the most common pallets are ten-foot pallets (ten feet or 318 cm long), with widths of 153, 224 and 244 cm. Containers are also ten feet long, or half, i.e. 156 cm ; the widths are also 153, 224 and 244 cm. Ninety-five percent of goods sent to Europe travel in containers. The maximum loading heights correspond to the height of the holds in which the pallets and containers are loaded.

Careful : the maximum loading heights vary according to the type of pallet and aircraft.

5 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Transportation methods

Air freight

DIMENSIONS OF COMMON PALLETS AND CONTAINERS Type

Typical code

Dimensions*

Standard pallet

P1P

318 x 224 cm

Ten-foot pallet

P6P

318 x 244 cm

Twenty-foot pallet

P7E

606 x 244 cm

Extension pallet

PLW/PLA PAW PMW

318 x 153 cm 318 x 224 cm 318 x 244 cm

A320/A321 pallet

PKC

156 x 153 cm

B747 Cargo pallet

PAG PMC PZA PGF

317 x 223 (height : 243 or 299 cm) 317 x 243 (height : 243 or 299 cm) 497 x 243 (height : 243 or 299 cm) 605 x 243 (height : 243 or 299 cm)

Standard container

LD3/AVE LD7/AAK AMF

156 x 153 cm (height : 163 cm) 318 x 224 cm (height : 163 cm) 318 x 244 cm (height : 163 cm)

A320/A310 container

AKH

156 x 153 cm (height : 109 cm)

* These heights are indications and may vary slightly from one airline to another.

HOW IS SECURITY ORGANIZED FOR AIR FREIGHT ? As an authorized agent holding certification from the DGAC, LP ART ensures the safety of each item dispatched under the terms of the provisions set out in its safety program. The item dispatched is accompanied by its detailed description and its security certificate. On receipt of the item, it is checked in the following way: conformity of the contents with the detailed description, good overall condition of the packaging, authenticity of the safety certificate (i.e. the fact that it has been made out by a certified company or organization). The persons carrying out these checks receive special training, especially the agents in charge of special checks, who take refresher courses every three months.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 5


Sea transport FOR HEAVY, NON-FRAGILE ITEMS Sea transport is undoubtedly the most economic transport method for heavy, non-fragile items. However, we limit its use for the following reasons : > the length of the voyage (for example at least twenty days from Le Havre to Tokyo), > route and time of arrival difficult to confirm to the nearest 48 hours, > rough mechanical handling of containers, > impossible to supervise loading and unloading, > relative lack of security in ports, > open top containers are placed on deck and hence exposed to bad weather.

SHIPPING CONTAINER DIMENSIONS Type

20’ DRY

20’ OT

20’ FLAT

40’ DRY

40’ OT

40’ FLAT

Length

5.919 m

5.919 m

5.935 m

12.056 m

12.043 m

12.066 m

Width

2.340 m

2.340 m

2.398 m

2.345 m

2.338 m

2.420 m

Height

2.376 m

2.286 m*

2.327 m*

2.378 m

2.272 m*

2.103 m*

22.1 tons

21.8 tons

21.4 tons

27.3 tons

26.0 tons

38.9 tons

Useful load

* Can be exceeded with the company’s agreement.

Dry = closed container. OT (Open Top) = open top, i.e. a tarp-covered container that can be loaded from above. Flat = ordinary platform (for works that cannot be loaded in a container).

6 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


WHEN SHOULD THE TRAIN BE CHOSEN ? High-speed trains (such as TGV in France or Shinkansen in Japan) are a practical, quick way of taking a handcarried shipment from one city center to another (provided that both the lender and the insurance company agree, because of the constant stops and transfers involved in rail travel).

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 6

Transportation methods

Rail transport


Couriering WHAT IS THE COURIER’S JOB ? Couriering is frequently demanded by lenders concerned about transport security for the works lent. The courier, representing the lender, travels with the works and is fully empowered to take action to protect them during the trip until they are officially delivered to the borrower. The courier must therefore be familiar with the condition of the works and the special precautions that must be taken, the packing and handling methods as well as the transport procedures. The request for a courier is made in writing at the same time as the lending approval and it must set out the lender’s specific requirements. The carrier advances all escorting expenses included in the estimate to the borrower. (For further details on couriering, see the chapter Assistance to the courier.)

7 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Length

Longueur

1 inch

= 2,54 cm

1 cm

= 0.3937 inch

1 foot

= 30,48 cm

1m

= 39.37 inches

(= 12 inches)

1 yard

(= 3.2808 feet)

= 91,44 cm

1m

= 1.0936 yards

= 1609,3 m

1 km

= 0.62137 mile

(= 3 feet or 36 inches)

1 mile Area 1 square inch 1 square foot

Surface 2

= 6,4516 cm 2

= 0,093 m

1 sq. cm

= 0.155 sq. in

1 sq. m

= 10.7636 sq. ft

1 square yard

= 0,83613 m

1 sq. m

= 1.196 sq. yd

1 acre

= 0,405 hectare

1 hectare

= 2.471 acres

1 sq. km

= 0.38608 sq. mi

1 square mile

2

2

= 2,59 km

Capacity

CapacitĂŠ

1 fluid ounce (US)

= 0,02957 liter

1 litre

= 33.8 fluid ounce (US)

1 pint (GB)

= 0,5683 liter

1 litre

= 1.76 pints (GB)

1 gallon (US)

= 3,7854 liters

1 litre

= 0.264 gallon (US)

Volume 1 cubic inch 1 cubic foot

Volume 3

1 cc

= 0.061 cb. in

3

1 cu. m

= 35.3134 cu. ft

= 16,3871 cm

= 0,028317 m

Weight 1 pound

Poids = 0,454 kilogramme

1 kilogramme

= 2,203 pounds

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 7

Transportation methods

Conversion table


PACKING

A crate or protective packaging ? Gallery owners and collectors : you want to have a crate made that will only be used once - how much are you prepared to spend ? Exhibition organizers : will the packing standards laid down by the lending museums be compatible with your exhibition budget ? How can you find the best and cheapest form of packing to transport a particular work ? If you have crates made, how can you limit the costs ? In practice, the type of packing depends on : - the payer’s budget and instructions - the lender’s requirements, if considered as acceptable - the technical proposal made during the packer’s visit It is not always easy to make the right packing choice as the range of technical solutions is very wide. As there is no magic formula, we offer you an analysis grid to help you decide.


Packing techniques and materials Packing

THE « THREE LAYERS » THEORY Complete packing, whether for a crate or for protective packaging, requires three layers : The first, in contact with the work of art, protects the surface from dust, scratches and finger marks. The second, like an intermediate cushion, reduces vibration, absorbs impacts, and attenuates temperature and hygrometric variations, The third, a sort of rigid shell, is designed to be impactresistant and facilitate handling.

Bulkamousse and Bullkraft.

Depending on the work and the type of transport, we will see below whether these three layers are always necessary.

MATERIALS USED For the first layer (the one providing surface protection), the materials in contact with the work must be chemically and physically neutral. For example, a medium-quality tissue paper will be acid and, in addition, once crumpled will no longer be as silky. The transparency of the material is also appreciated, to enable the work to be seen under this first layer. Depending on the case and the budget, we can use tissue paper, glassine, Melinex or polyester fiber based compounds such as Tyvek.

Polyurethane foam, aglocel, etafoam, waterproofing seal.

For the second layer (acting as a cushion), the most important product is polyethylene foam or polyurethane in all its forms, thicknesses and densities. This foam is especially used to line crates. The other protective packaging materials used in France are essentially Bullpack, Bullkraft and Bulkamousse, as well as Elastok and netting paper (e.g. to pack furniture). Bullpack and polyethylene foam.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1


Packing techniques and materials

For the third layer (the one giving rigidity and penetration resistance), the main material used to manufacture travelling crates and frames is wood, especially plywood. Aluminium and plastic compounds are now also widely used. For soft packing, cardboard is still an unrivalled product to finish the third layer, as it is practical, economical and easy to shape.

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY SOFT PACKING ? Soft packing refers to all types of packing and protection used when a crate solution is inappropriate. Soft packing concerns most objects that can be moved manually, and it is often sufficient for truck transport in France and elsewhere in Europe. However, it has to be carefully assembled. In other words, the three layers must be in the right proportions. A painting, for example, is protectively packaged in the following order : 1. Melinex on the painted surface. 2. Frame wrapped in Bullpack with Bulkamousse strips. 3. Cardboard on the front and rear, plus strapping.

The LP ART workshop To make crates to measure, it is necessary to have a complete, efficient carpentry workshop : > specialized machines: panel saw, bandsaw, jointer, planer, shaper, > an efficient dust conveying system, > protective equipment, > annual inspection to ensure compliance with safety standards.

2 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


LP ART’s crates Crates group together the three layers into a single unit for simple, quick packing. Depending on the work of art and its fragility, LP ART can supply different types of crates adapted to the most frequent uses : > crates for paintings (with or without tray), > crates for sculptures (bench packing or case packing), > crates with slides for framed photographs and drawings, > crates for objects and small sculptures (with boxes or compartments), > handcarry for accompanied luggage. The quality of these crates depends on the needs of our customers, who can request isothermal crates.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2

Packing

WHAT TYPES OF CRATES DO WE MAKE ?


LP Art’s crates Standard museum crate

Screwed shut on countersunk plate with threaded bracket

25 mm pine slats

15 mm plywood cover Cardboard Foam 25 mm pine slats

Foam

Dense foam

Waxed Kraft paper for waterproofing Waterproofing seal between crate and cover Metal handles Shell 25 mm pine slides

Super-isothermal crate Screw on countersunk plate with threaded bracket Two coats of acrylic paint on the outside 25 mm pine strips 15 mm plywood cover Foam

Vapour barrier Seal Empty space Extruded polystyrene

25 mm pine slat

Dense foam 25 mm pine slats Metallic handles Panels glued and screwed together

3 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


LP Art’s crates

Foam crate with 3 boxes

Packing

Closed using screws on countersunk plate and threaded bracket 15 mm plywood cover 25 mm pine slats Waterproof seal between crate and cover Space to insert hand Plywood box Strap Vapour barrier

Plywood box Metal or wood handles depending on crate width

Foam 25 mm pine slides

Panels glued and nailed together

Slot crate Closed using screws with cups and insert nuts 15 mm plywood cover 25 mm pine slats Polyurethane foam Waterproof seal between crate and cover

Chocks for separation

Vapour barrier Grooved Ethafoam

Metal or wood handles depending on crate width

25 mm pine slides

Panels glued and nailed together

Sculpture crate Closed using bolts with nuts and washers 19 mm plywood 25 mm pine battens Waterproof seal between crate and cover

Slide Foam (covered with felting if necessary) Closed brace

30 mm plywood base 90 x 110 mm batten Panels held together using bolts with nuts and washers

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 3


LP Art’s crates

What about adjustable for-hire crates ? Several suppliers provide adjustable crates (designed to be adapted to suit works of different sizes) : > one has a strapping system that can be used to adapt the packing easily to

suit the size of the work, > another has a metallic frame whose four corners can be adjusted to suit the

size of the work using a rack system, > a third type uses a system of chocks with adjustable thicknesses whose position

in the crate can be changed using Velcro pads. Taking into account their high cost, these crates do not seem to us to be competitively priced at the moment, except in certain very specific cases. Nonetheless, we have included them in the guide to cover all available solutions.

4 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


How do our crates stand up? Packing

IMPACT, TEMPERATURE, HYGROMETRY : HOW DO OUR CRATES STAND UP ?

A test carried out by LP ART We designed our first super-isothermal crate for a 15th century limewood sculpture. Given the cost of the crate, we thought it was important to check how it behaved during transport. In the winter of 1996, we tested the performances of three LP ART crates under real conditions : a standard museum crate, a Carrousel crate (an improved crate designed to Louvre specifications) and the super-isothermal crate. The experiment covered impact and vibration absorption, resistance to temperature variations and resistance to hygrometric variations. The black box used was parameterized and adjusted to measure the temperature and the hygrometry every fifteen minutes and record all impacts with an intensity greater than 1.5 g in - three directions (vertical, horizontal and lateral). We chose three standard round - trips with opening and closing of the crates on arrival : a Paris-New York flight, a Paris-London truck journey and a Paris-Tokyo flight.

Results : For the three factors analysed, the experiment confirmed that the resistance of a crate is proportional to its degree of sophistication : the isothermal crate outperforms the Carrousel crate which itself outperforms the standard crate.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 4


How do our crates stand up ?

The conclusions of the recordings analysis are more interesting : > neither the aircraft nor the cross-Channel Shuttle

produced any impact of more than 1.5 g (even during takeoff and landing), > the only impacts recorded were low in intensity and « Super-Isothermal » crate.

occurred during loading/unloading operations and truck movements, > waiting in a non-air-conditioned area at the airport, for

departure or on arrival, can cause a rapid fall in temperature inside the crate depending on the outside temperature (except for the super-isothermal crate), > to our surprise, more significant and sudden hygrometric

variations than we expected occurred when the crates were opened, with condensation or evaporation due to the temperature difference inside and outside the crate hence the need to allow the crates to acclimatize for at least 48 hours and more for isothermal crates ! « Carrousel » crate.

5 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Which should you choose, protective packing or crates ? Packing

To choose the right form of packing, two sets of factors must be considered : on the one hand, the characteristics of the work and its fragility in its location, and on the other hand, the characteristics of the types of transport that could be used. How can these factors be synthesized ? As there is no magic formula, we provide an analysis grid with a marking system.

A PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT GRID The aim of the practical assessment model is to examine and measure the effect of the main parameters on which the choice of packing depends. While it is difficult, if not impossible, to take a completely rational approach, it is still possible to achieve a minimum amount of coherence. To do so, you must ask the right questions and try to take an overall view.

« Centaure mourant », Antoine Bourdelle.

This is what we propose you do using a questionnaire and an analysis graph.

WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE : > imagine a real situation of your choice : you have to send a work of art somewhere and you want to choose the appropriate type of packing, > analyze your case using the two sets of questions that we have defined : ten parameters for fragility, and ten parameters concerning transportation and handling, > mark each parameter in each set from 1 to 10, > add up the ten marks in each set, > refer to the graph: the horizontal and vertical scales, graduated from 0 to 100, represent the fragility of the work and the transport risk respectively, > the intersection point shows a level or type of packing.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 5


What packing should you use ?

ANALYZE AND MARK « THE FRAGILITY » PARAMETERS (from 1 : not very fragile, to 10 : extremely fragile)

« Serapeum lion », Louvre, Egyptian antiquities.

1. Type of object and technique Is it a painting or a sculpture? A medal or a manuscript ? Everyone would agree that a Calder sculpture requires different treatment from a Degas pastel.

2. Materials You must know what materials have been used for the work and how they react. Alabaster is more fragile than marble, which is less fragile than granite. Limewood is more fragile than oak. Sixteenth century wooden panels may be less fragile than certain works by Tapiés. 3. Age of the work In general, the older the object, the more fragile it is considered to be : over time, humidity, frost, light and pollution make works exposed to the open air more fragile. Moreover, the dry heat of a municipal library makes a piece of walnut furniture more fragile, however well made it is. 4. Physical and climatic environment of the work Cannonballs from the wreck of the San Diego, a Spanish galleon, in perfect condition after spending four hundred years several dozen meters below the sea off the Philippines, turned out to be extremely fragile once they were removed from the water. On the other hand, perfect preservation conditions (in terms of humidity, temperature and luminosity) can also be a factor in making the work more fragile when it is transferred to another location. Sometimes loans are refused for this reason. 5. Political and cultural environment This parameter should not be underestimated. The work suddenly becomes fragile and a reason for concern even if it is not necessarily so in physical terms. An unbaked clay object, of limited museological interest and in good condition, can certainly be considered fragile once it leaves a museum in an African capital. Similarly, a modest painting by David, hanging behind the desk of a local official, can become as valuable as the Mona Lisa.

6 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


What packing should you use ?

Packing

6. Transport history How did previous trips go ? Some pictures seem to spend more time in the air than on the wall and apparently do not suffer. Other works are not so lucky : one or two problems and they are classified as fragile, even if this is not otherwise justified by their state of preservation. 7. State of preservation This is the main parameter taken into account, but assessing it is not easy. How fragile is this recently restored picture ? Might the crackling area spread ? Should this detachment be treated ? Without a precise, quick answer, attitudes to transporting the work may harden and it may never travel at all. 8. Financial value A certified work, or one valued at several hundred thousand dollars, may be seen as « fragile ». Is a crate absolutely necessary ? Is it required by the insurance company ? 9. Heritage value World, national, regional heritage… Whether it is the Nike of Samothrace or a parish reliquary in Corrèze, this additional value given to the work must be taken into account. 10. Sentimental value A personal affection for a work of art can lead to one of two extremes : wanting to share one’s enthusiasm or jealously keeping it to oneself, irrespective of the objective condition of the work. It is up to the organizer or the packer to assess this.

Total

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 6


What packing should you use ?

ANALYZE AND MARK THE TEN TRANSPORTATION AND HANDLING PARAMETERS (from 1 : transport very easy, to 10 : extremely complex operation) 1. Manual or mechanical handling If a particular sculpture can be transported on a trolley pushed along at walking pace by four men, good covered protection will probably be enough. However, if it is heavy enough to require a forklift truck or a crane, a crate will be recommended. A large picture may be taken down the staircase with just a protective covering. If a crane is needed to take it out through a window, a crate or at least a protective frame will be needed. 2. Direct trip or transhipment Should a trip between the Louvre and the Tate Gallery be made door-to-door in an air conditioned truck or else by air with trucks to Roissy and from Heathrow ? The total journey times will be comparable but the transport conditions will not be the same : loading and unloading at the airports, temperature variations, etc. For more remote destinations, you must take the stopovers into account and use crates that can be handled easily. 3. Total journey time The longer the journey, the greater the risk : it will be more difficult to predict temperature and hygrometric variations. For a one-hour European flight, a standard museum crate will probably suffice; for a flight from Brussels to Tokyo, an isothermal crate will be needed. 4. Exclusive or consolidated road transport If the journey is over land from start to finish, will the work be transported exclusively or consolidated ? In certain cases, with excellent packing, you can obtain very advantageous rates from European carriers via consolidation with other works of art or other types of goods. However, bear in mind that a consolidated consignment usually has to be separated in a warehouse which means additional handling is involved. 5. Direct or consolidated air freight If you opt for a direct operation, you will be informed of the flight chosen and the departure and arrival times. However, if you choose a consolidated operation, you will only be given an indication of the arrival time and no information on the itinerary,

7 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


What packing should you use ?

6. Sea transport Ships are used almost exclusively to transport large sculptures overseas, if they are not too fragile. You must bear in mind the drawbacks of this form of transport : it is difficult, if not impossible, to check the embarkation and disembarkation of the containers ; rough mechanical handling ; risk of corrosion by the sea air (even in special containers). 7. Physical environment during transportation The state of the roads in Mongolia, the Philippine rains, snow on the road between Vienna and Munich or, quite simply, the temperature in a truck travelling in midsummer on the motorway from Brussels to Marseilles : these are all factors that must be taken into account when choosing the appropriate type of packing. 8. Foreign working conditions and regulations While a crate can be collected from Roissy Airport within three hours, it takes at least eight hours at Lima Airport. While you can accompany a courier and his hand luggage to his plane seat at Roissy, when he arrives in Washington the person meeting him will have to wait like everyone else until he gets through customs. 9. Presence of a courier This is a crucial parameter in limiting the overall risk provided, however, you should be sure that the courier has the discipline and personality required for his job and that the specialized carrier provides him with professional and efficient assistance.

Total

10. Itinerary Does the work have to be packed for a single round trip or for a travelling exhibition stopping off at several cities around the world ? Generally speaking, the greater the number of stops, the greater the risk. This parameter is very important from the technical viewpoint : you must have a system that is appropriate for repeated opening and closing of the crate.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 7

Packing

the stopovers and transhipments. You must therefore use the right crate.


What packing should you use ?

PLOT THE TOTAL MARKS ON THE GRAPH After analyzing and marking all the parameters in both sets, you can plot the total marks in each set on the graph below :

Packing a Houdon sculpture.

Each area (A, B, C, D, and E) corresponds to a level and type of packing : > Area A : simple protection (e.g. covering or tissue paper and Bullpack). > Area B : special protective packaging (e.g. neutral paper, Melinex or Tyvek for the first layer ; Bullkraft and Bulkamousse for the second layer ; cardboard and strapping for the third layer). > Area C : simple crate (e.g. standard museum crate). > Area D : improved crate (e.g. double standard museum crate or Carrousel crate). > Area E : super-isothermal crate (e.g. climatized double crate with two 8 cm layers of extruded polystyrene, with a one centimeter air space between the two layers).

8 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Packing LP ART TH E GU I DE • 8


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LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1


Storage

ACCESS TO THE LP ART WAREHOUSE IN PARIS

LOCAL LP ART AGENCIES Each local LP ART agency in Lyon , Nice and Toulouse has a general warehouse covering 400 sq. m with an alarm system, an air conditioned strong-room covering at least 150 sq. m, a fine art truck and two drivers-installers.

2 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Transit of a major exhibition HOW TO MANAGE TRANSIT OF A MAJOR EXHIBITION VIA A WAREHOUSE ? Warehousing

The normal rules of the profession and the insurance companies generally oblige us to transport works from door to door : from a lender to the borrowing museum, from a regional museum to the airport, etc. Yet economic constraints are increasingly forcing clients to ask us for consolidated fine art transport. The warehouse, through which works of art, crates and the accompanying documents constantly flow, therefore becomes a crucial part of our facilities. Its smooth operation basically rests on the following rules : > precise and legible marking of the works during collection (collection form, label), > simple, clear recording of items entering the warehouse (file reference, exhibition name, etc), > clear zoning of our air conditioned strong-room and immediate identification of works, > strict preparations for removals, both administratively and for the physical grouping of the works.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2


HANDLING

Why is handling works of art a genuine profession ? Everyone has moved their furniture and personal effects at one time or another. We have all shaken our heads over a scratch or bump caused by clumsiness when moving a favourite object. Have you ever imagined the care required when handling a masterpiece ? Do you realize the physical difficulties of handling a two-ton marble statue or a picture measuring four meters by five ? Are you familiar with moving techniques ? Do you have any idea of the organizational constraints encountered on large sites ? Our installers and team leaders are professional handlers of works of art and objets d’art. Their tools, techniques and terminology form a fully-fledged discipline, extended every day by their experience in handling works. They are your direct interlocutors on the spot. Learn to appreciate the value of the handling, tools and many precautions that make up the quality and price of our service.


LP ART’s installers and team leaders SKILLS THAT HAVE TO BE ACQUIRED At LP ART, we use the term installer for our staff specializing in handling and packing works of art. They come from various trades : carpentry, cabinet-making, framing, diesel engineering and design… They gradually learn their profession from their more experienced colleagues and by taking specific and demanding training courses. They all have to be committed to quality. The most skilled become team leaders.

Handling and moving

RESPONSIBLE TEAM LEADERS The team leader is the client’s direct liaison and he is in charge of a team of installers and packers on a site. At LP ART, the team leader is familiar with every aspect of the profession : technical aspects, administration and personal relations. His role begins well before the operations on the spot : > familiarizing himself with the estimate proposed to the client,

© Musée du Louvre/P.Ballif

> consulting the coordinator to gain an overall picture of the operation and decide on a working method, > proposing the necessary resources : staff, vehicles, tools and supplies, > ensuring that he can assemble these resources on the given day in consultation with the trucking and packing managers at the warehouse, > representing the company on site and giving instructions to the team, > reporting to the coordinator and passing on the work documents.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1


LP ART’s installers and team leaders

AUTOMATIC REFLEXES Whether the work is a medieval enamel or a resin sculpture by Dubuffet, everything begins with a handling operation. The handlers have to look, understand, touch, pick up, carry and move with the work. Our installers’ professionalism is based on automatic reflexes that they have patiently acquired : > Studying the area around the object : is there enough room around the object to move back ? If necessary, how should the mechanical handling tools be installed ? Are the means of access large enough ? Does the work have to go through the window ?

« Autoportraits du XX e siècle », Palais du Luxembourg, 2004.

> Protecting the environment : how should the floor, walls and possibly the lawns be protected ? Everything has to be protected along the way where the work is carried using heavy handling equipment : loadspreading plates, wood and polyethylene foam are used to protect the floor to level it out if it is uneven.

> Assessing the object itself : from the first look, it is important to assess the fragility of the work, its weight, centre of gravity and all the packing and moving constraints. > Protecting the object : the basic reflex is to work with clean hands and use a pair of gloves to protect the object from perspiration or any other marks and to protect it from bad weather when handling outside. > Following grasping rules : While you would probably pick up a teapot by its handle at home, when it is an « objet d’art », you would pick up the teapot by supporting the bottom with both hands. > Following a strict method : You never move an object without knowing beforehand exactly where you’re going to put it. > Controlling your movements : An installer thinks about the position of his body, optimizes his muscular effort, protects his lower back, etc.

2 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


LP ART’s installers and team leaders

MASTERING TOOLS AND MACHINERY Above a certain weight or size, works cannot be safely handled manually. So tools and machinery are required in addition to the basic precautions : > ladders on either side of a large picture, > scaffolding to the height of the picture rail, > tackle blocks (three or four-strand pulley blocks) that have to be attached to the ceiling to raise or lower the heaviest pictures, > carts with side rails and trolleys that have to be guided skilfully despite a heavy, cumbersome load, Handling and moving

> pallet trucks on which the loads must be evenly spread.

Quality and ongoing training at LP ART Training courses given by outside organizations : > training for two installers on average each year, to pass their HGV driving

licences, and for three installers to pass their forklift truck and aerial lift proficiency certificates, > training for the staff as a whole in freight security procedures and training of

« certified agents » for freight control under our « authorized agent » certification system, > two annual training sessions for our sales staff and our team leaders on the

theme of « responsibility and quality », > regular training courses in other languages.

Training courses given on an internal basis : > fortnightly training sessions for exhibition coordinators on working metho-

dologies, > weekly training sessions for installers and team leaders on operational

procedures.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2


Moving techniques © Musée du Louvre/P.Ballif

MOVING PROBLEMS

© Musée du Louvre/P.Ballif

Veronese, « Noces de Cana », painting department, Musée du Louvre.

Oriental antiquities department, Musée du Louvre.

The main problem with works of art is that they do not offer a natural hold unlike industrial machinery and equipment. For each heavy handling operation, the staff has to adapt the existing equipment and study the lifting devices. This often takes some time and is tricky to set up. In addition to our basic equipment (side loaders, gantries, site cranes, moving towers, etc), we sometimes have to use hired machinery : cranes (7-200 tons), trucks with cranes (15, 18 or 33 tons) and low-slung platform trucks.

For instance, how should you move a sculpture weighing a ton from its base 60 cm above the floor to its crate ? If you decide to lift it, move the base and lower it gently onto the base of the crate, you need a moving tower, a hoist and slings. If you want to raise the crate base on a pile of pallets to the height of the sculpture base and slide the sculpture onto the crate base, you need « paras » (soap-covered beech planks). How do you remove the twenty sarcophagi from the Marengo crypt ? You put an inclined plane on the staircase and a ratchet-hoist puller hooked on the landing. When the works have been completed and there is just a stairwell left in place of the staircase, how do you get the sarcophagi down ? You put up a gantry to install a goods lift.

© Musée du Louvre/P.Ballif

How do you place a Picasso sculpture weighing 20 tons in front of the Petit Palais ? You need a 200-ton crane to obtain the necessary load radius.

Oriental antiquities department, Musée du Louvre.

3 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Moving techniques

LIFTING SYSTEMS For most routine lifting with hoists and slings, these are the basic rules to be followed : > Assess the weight to be lifted : it is very useful to know the densities of the materials of which the object is made (see table). > Stabilize the weight to be lifted : first, the center of gravity must be determined as accurately as possible, then choose the right strapping, attachment or securing positions.

> Correctly secure or attach the slings to the object : the slings are often attached to the object using flat straps .

Handling and moving

> Balance the device correctly : the center of gravity must be held in the lifting axis (in certain cases, « balancers » are used to transfer the load). Oriental antiquities department, Musée du Louvre.

> Spread the forces evenly : to avoid squeezing and damaging works, sometimes a lifting beam is used, i.e. a beam with several lifting points that balances the forces between the upper and lower slinging systems

A hoist for a ten-ton load weighs 150 kg, so it takes more than five minutes to put it in place. The main beam of a gantry may weigh as much as 800 kg ! This means that you need a side loader to install it.

Oriental antiquities department, Musée du Louvre.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 3


Moving techniques

What you need to know about slings

Oriental antiquities department, Musée du Louvre.

In accordance with an international standard, the nominal resistance of a sling is identified by a colour and is recorded as the maximum working load (see table). The maximum working load incorporates a safety ratio (legal minimum : 5) : for instance, a ratio of 6 means that a sling with a maximum working load of one ton can take six tons. This margin of security is due to the fact that the slightest damage, wear or grazing can substantially reduce the resistance of a sling. Any sling with worn protective sheathing must be scrapped. The maximum working load of a single-strand sling indicates a nominal resistance calculated vertically. Note that for a two-rope sling, the angle between the two ropes must not exceed 120°. Above this, it is difficult to measure the effort exerted.

Sling colour code

Nominal maximum working load

Violet

1.000 kg

Green

2.000 kg

Yellow

3.000 kg

Grey

4.000 kg

Red

5.000 kg

Dark brown

6.000 kg

Blue

8.000 kg

Orange

10.000 kg

Note : endless slings are measured according to their useful length (i.e. half the length of the loop).

4 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


0$7(5,$/ '(16,7<

Limestone

Average density* 2.4

Diorite

2.5-3.4

Basalt

2.9-3.4

Granite

2.5-3.1

White marble

2.7

Glass

2.55

Steel

7.8

Copper

8.94

Bronze

8.4-9.2

Silver

10.5

Gold

19.3

Brass Lead Tin Oak Walnut

« Art Khmer », Grand Palais, 1997.

7.3-8.4 11.34 7.3 0.6-0.8 0.8

* Density = the ratio between the mass of a certain volume of a homogeneous body and the mass of the same volume of water at 4°C.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 4

Handling and moving

Material


FINE ARTS AND CUSTOMS FORMALITIES

Formalities required ? Gallery owners and private owners : do you know whether your works are « cultural items » requiring an authorization to leave the country ? Museums and exhibition organizers : are you thoroughly familiar with the temporary exit procedure for a « national treasure » ? In France, as in other countries, the circulation of works of art is regulated. Control is exercised jointly by the Ministry of Culture and the customs department. These necessary so-called « fine arts » formalities must be carried out before the customs formalities. There are various stages in the fine arts and customs Formalities. Where should you go ? Which forms should you complete ? Which documents should you enclose ? Administrative and customs formalities are therefore an important part of our business and carrying them out requires skill and experience. Here are some practical explanations :


Export formalities FINE ARTS REGULATIONS IN FRANCE In spite of the abolition of customs formalities for trade within the European Union, the circulation of works of art is still controlled in order to protect national heritage. There are three separate cases depending on the type of work : > if the work is listed as a national treasure, it can only leave France temporarily once authorization has been given,

> if the work is below the control threshold, it is not considered to be a cultural item and can therefore be sold without authorization and circulate freely throughout the world. The fine arts formalities only apply in the first two cases, i.e. if the work is a national treasure or a cultural item. In all cases, exports outside Europe involve customs formalities.

IF YOU WANT TO EXPORT A NATIONAL TREASURE TEMPORARILY You must complete a temporary export authorization application for a national treasure (DASTTN), which will be approved by the appropriate department of the Ministry of Culture 1 covering the work.

What is a national treasure ? Any work in France on the public museums list is considered a ÂŤ national treasure Âť. Exceptionally, works owned by private individuals may be also be national treasures. A ÂŤ national treasure Âť can only be removed from France temporarily and in the following cases : cultural event, restoration, valuation or study, or deposit in a public collection.

1. 6HUYLFH GHV $UFKLYHV GH )UDQFH 6HUYLFH GX /LYUH HW OD /HFWXUH &HQWUH 1DWLRQDO GH OD &LQpPDWRJUDSKLH 6HUYLFH GHV 0XVpHV GH )UDQFH 'LUHFWLRQ GX 3DWULPRLQH

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1

Fine arts and Customs formalities

> if the work is not a national treasure but exceeds the control threshold it is a cultural item and its temporary or definitive removal from the country is subject to authorization (see the simplified table of cultural items),


Export formalities

© Musée du Louvre/P.Ballif

The DASTTN is enough for temporary exit within Europe. It must accompany the work at all times during the trip. When it returns, a detachable return attestation must be sent to the appropriate department. If the work is loaned outside Europe, the DASTTN, properly approved, is required to obtain the export licence issued by the Ministry of Culture. To carry out the customs formalities, you must append a list of the values and an attestation from the foreign borrower undertaking to return the works.

What is a cultural item ? According to the regulations, there are two criteria for defining a work as a cultural item : the age and value of the work. A work exceeding the age and value thresholds defined for its category is considered to be a cultural item. It can only circulate with a certificate (a sort of passport for the work) or a temporary export authorization (valid for one trip only).

IF YOU WANT TO EXPORT A CULTURAL ITEM TEMPORARILY If you want to export a cultural item temporarily, particularly for an exhibition, you have two options : > you can make an application for a cultural item certificate (DCBC) to the department of the Ministry of Culture covering your work. This certificate authorizes the circulation of the work during its period of validity, which is 20 years for a work of art that is over 100 years old), > a quicker procedure is to make an application for the temporary export DXWKRUL]DWLRQ of a cultural item (DASTBC) to the department covering your work. This authorization is valid for only one trip outside France. Either of these documents is enough for circulation within Europe. Note that to obtain the certificate (which attests that the work is not a national treasure) the work may have to be presented to a curator from the appropriate department of the Ministry of Culture covering the work.

2 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Export formalities

If the work has to be sent outside Europe, once you have a DCBC or a DASTBC, you can apply for the export licence issued by the Ministry of Culture. To carry out the customs formalities, you must obtain an invoice, D SUR[\ IRU FXVWRPV DQ DWWestation from the foreign borrower under-taking to return the works, plus photographs in the case RI H[KLELWLRQ ZLWK SRVVLEOH VDOH

IF YOU WANT TO SELL A CULTURAL ITEM ABROAD If you want to sell a cultural item in Europe, all you need is a certificate, which it must be possible to present in the event of a control.

Private individuals, if they have owned the work for less than 12 years and if the value of the work LV HTXDO RU exceeds 5,000 â‚Ź must pay a tax of 5 % (capital gains tax of 4.5 % plus welfare debt repayment of 0.5 %). If you want to sell a cultural item outside Europe, in addition to the certificate you must obtain a definitive export licence issued by the Ministry of Culture. To carry out the customs formalities, private individuals must obtain an invoice and the attestation of payment of capital gains tax.

IF YOU ARE SELLING A WORK THAT IS NOT A CULTURAL ITEM A private individual residing in France (or a foundation) selling a picture more than fifty years old and worth less than 150,000 â‚Ź outside the European Union only has to make a customs declaration. However, a tax of 5 % of the customs value will be payable if he has owned the work of art for more than 12 years and if the work is valued more than 5,000 â‚Ź.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2

Fine arts and Customs formalities

Gallery owners must not forget to include the work on the goods exchange declaration that must be filed each month with the customs WD[ department.


Export formalities

LIST OF CULTURAL ITEMS IN FRANCE Age Value threshold Value threshold Type of work &DWHJRU\ $UFKDHRORJLFDO REMHFWV

European Union

Other countries

(as at 17/07/04)

(as at 17/07/04)

100 years 1 500 to 15 000 €

0 to 15 000 €

according to the object

according to the object

&DWHJRU\ 3DUWV RI DUWLVWLF KLVWRULFDO RU UHOLJLRXV PRQXPHQWV

100 years

-

-

150 000 €

150 000 €

50 years

30 000 €

30 000 €

50 years

15 000 €

15 000 €

50 years

15 000 €

15 000 €

50 years

50 000 €

50 000 €

50 years

15 000 €

15 000 €

50 years

1 500 €

-

50 years

50 000 €

50 000 €

100 years

15 000 €

15 000 €

50 years

300 €

-

-

50 000 €

50 000 €

75 years

50 000 €

50 000 €

50 or 100 years

50 000 €

50 000 €

&DWHJRU\ 3LFWXUHV DQG SDLQWLQJV

50 years

&DWHJRU\ :DWHUFRORUV JRXDFKHV SDVWHOV

&DWHJRU\ 0RVDLFV DQG GUDZLQJV

&DWHJRU\ 2ULJLQDO HQJUDYLQJV SULQWV VLONVFUHHQV DQG OLWKRJUDSKV SRVWFDUGV

&DWHJRU\ 6FXOSWXUHV

&DWHJRU\ 3KRWRJUDSKV ILOPV

&DWHJRU\ ,QFXQDEXOD DQG PDQXVFULSWV

&DWHJRU\ %RRNV DQG PXVLFDO VFRUHV

&DWHJRU\ 3ULQWHG PDSV

&DWHJRU\ $OO W\SHV RI DUFKLYHV

&DWHJRU\ $OO W\SHV RI FROOHFWLRQV

&DWHJRU\ 0HDQV RI WUDQVSRUW

&DWHJRU\ 2WKHU DQWLTXLWLHV QRW LQFOXGHG LQ FDWHJRULHV WR DQG RYHU \HDUV ROG

3 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Export formalities

Annecy CRD (74) Annemasse CRD (73) Besançon CRD (25) Bordeaux-Bassens CRD (33) Bordeaux-Mérignac (33) Bordeaux-St Jean (33) Dijon CRD (21) Ennery CRD (57) Grenoble CRD (38) La Rochelle-Pallice CRD (17) Le Lamentin (97) Le Raizet (97) Lille CRD (59) Lyon-Chassieu CRD (69) Lyon-Ville (69) Marseille-Port CRD (13)

Mulhouse CRD (68) Nancy CRD (54) Nantes-Aéroport CRD (44) Nantes-Port (44) Nice-Aéroport CRD (06) Paris-Douane Centrale (75) Paris-Garantie (75) Pau CRD (64) Poitiers CRD (86) Rennes CRD (35) Rochambeau (97) Rouen-Port (76) Strasbourg CRD (67) Strasbourg-Hausbergen CRD (67) Toulouse-Fondeyre (31) St Julien-Bardonnex (74)

(CRD: regional customs centre)

Are you sure that you can carry out the customs operations in your town ? Note that not all offices are authorized for the export of cultural items.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 3

Fine arts and Customs formalities

SPECIALIZED CUSTOMS OFFICES FOR THE EXPORT OF CULTURAL ITEMS AND NATIONAL TREASURES IN FRANCE


Import formalities for France IN THE CASE OF A WORK RETURNING TO FRANCE The only fine arts formality is returning the attestation of return of the work to the authorizing department. A detachable coupon is provided with the national treasure and cultural item temporary export documents. If the work is a cultural item, you are required to present it to the appropriate Department of the French Ministry of Culture. If the work is returning from a non-EU country, an ,0$ customs declaration is required.

IN THE CASE OF A WORK ENTERING FRANCE TEMPORARILY No documents are required for a work coming from an EU country. If the work comes from a non-EU country, the importer must make an application for temporary entry (customs declaration ,0$), with a guarantee for the VAT applicable. Public sector and equivalent organizations, particularly national museums, are generally given an exemption from the requirement to provide a guarantee on condition that they apply for it. Galleries can also obtain this exemption if they belong to the Comité Professionnel des Galeries d’Art (CPGA) or the Syndicat National des Antiquaires (SNA), and if they can prove that the works are covered by an insurance recognized by the Customs authorities. Under no circumstances can a work be taken into France temporarily under a private individual’s name.

IN THE CASE OF A WORK IMPORTED DEFINITIVELY INTO FRANCE Museums purchasing a work outside the EU must make a duty-free import application (by registering the imported work), exempting them from duties and taxes. Galleries and private individuals must pay duties and taxes when they make the inward clearance declaration (including VAT at a rate that may vary depending on the type of work concerned).

4 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Documents to be used FINE ARTS AUTHORIZATIONS IN FRANCE Cultural item certificate issued by the competent department of the French Ministry of Culture.

Authorization for the temporary export of a national treasure issued by the competent department of the French Ministry of Culture.

Authorization for the temporary export of a cultural item

Sort of passport for the temporary or definitive export of a cultural item for twenty years from the date of issue. For the temporary export of a work defined as a national treasure (particularly all museum works). For a single temporary export of a cultural item belonging to a gallery or private individual.

issued by the competent department of the French Ministry of Culture.

issued by the appropriate department of the French Ministry of Culture.

For exports outside Europe, temporary licence for a national treasure, temporary or definitive licence for a cultural item.

CUSTOMS DOCUMENTS Goods exchange declaration

For definitive imports and exports in Europe, document filed each month with the customs department by museums and galleries (but not private individuals).

&9"customs declaration

For definitive exports to non-EU countries.

&9" customs declaration

For temporary exports to non-EU countries.

*." customs declaration

For re-importing works exported temporarily to a non-EU country.

*." inward clearance declaration

For definitive imports from non-EU countries (payment of any duties and taxes by galleries and private individuals, exemption for museums).

*." customs declaration

For temporary imports from non-EU countries.

&9" customs declaration

For re-exporting works returning from an exhibition in the EU to a non-EU country.

INF3/INF6 declaration

For transfer of temporary admission between two member countries of the European Union ZLWKRXW LVVXDQFH RI FXVWRPV WUDQVLW

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 4

Fine arts and Customs formalities

Export licence


Documents to be used

OTHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS IN FRANCE Attestation of exhibition dates and venue

Letter appended to the temporary export application whereby the exhibition organizer undertakes to return the works to the lenders on the closure date.

Power of attorney

Letter whereby the museum, gallery or private individual grants power of attorney to the customs broker.

List of values

List of the works and their values, required for temporary exports or re-exporting outside Europe.

Pro forma invoice

Document issued by the owner certifying the value of the work if it were to be sold.

Capital gains exemption

For temporary exports of works by private individuals. In the case of a possible sale, an expert valuation or restoration work, this exemption is issued by the person’s local tax office. For exhibitions, the exemption is issued by the appropriate Department of the French Ministry of Culture.

Duty-free attestation

For definitive imports by a museum of works from non-EU countries. This attestation exempts the museum from inward clearance duties and taxes.

Guarantee exemption issued by the C.P.G.A. (Comité

For temporary imports by galleries or antique dealers. If the gallery or antique dealer does not have this exemption, it needs a bank guarantee just like a private individual.

Professionnel des Galeries d’Art) or the S.N.A. (Syndicat National des Antiquaires).

Attention ! Bear in mind that when a cultural item returns to France, it must be physically presented to the appropriate Department of the French Ministry of Culture.

5 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


LP ART TH E GU I DE • 5 Fine arts and Customs formalities


EXHIBITION SERVICE

How to coordinate the transportation of works of art ? Exhibition organizers and transport managers in large cultural institutions : you commission us to transport an exhibition. Lenders : you want your works to be routed according to your requirements. Couriers : you rely on our assistance. How should the complex relations between organizers, borrowers and lenders be managed ? How can efficiency, security and meeting deadlines be reconciled in all circumstances ? For all exhibitions, a specialized team handles these issues. With skills in all aspects of transportation and packing, full knowledge of museums, bilingual and trilingual staff, an effective computer system and real-time communications facilities, we can meet these everyday challenges. At LP ART, your contact, from the order to the bill, is the coordinator. The fact that he is thoroughly familiar with his role ensures efficiency and facilitates collaboration.


Coordination methods WHAT HAS TO BE COORDINATED ? Transporting exhibitions involves a series of customized operations that must be coordinated quickly and according to a defined budget (e.g. 25 foreign arrivals, 10 regional arrivals, 15 truck journeys in Paris). For each operation, everyone involved must work in perfect coordination. An air arrival for instance, will involve : > the lender and his courier, > the dispatching agent, > the airline, > our supervisor at the airport, > our customs clerk, > our drivers, with a truck and suitable equipment, > the staff of the museum borrowing the works. Coordination is a genuine profession involving assessing, planning and managing all these movements.

WHAT CONDITIONS ARE NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE COORDINATION ? Exhibition service

At least three conditions are necessary for good coordination of all these movements : > Knowledge of all the aspects of the profession : routing (air, land or sea), packing, handling, security rules, administrative and customs formalities, etc > Rigorous method : operations are organized and conducted in a defined order, ensuring that all the data are available and that coherent instructions are issued at each stage of the operation. The exhibition coordination software installed by LP ART creates an obligation as to method and uniformity of the procedures and the documents issued. It leaves room for initiative while banishing improvisation.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1


Coordination methods

> Good tools : a battery of fax machines, e-mail, GSM communications, liaison with the central customs computer (SOFI) and, for each coordinator, a highperformance computer equipped with specialized software to manage schedules and edit documents.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATION ? At LP ART, eighteen exhibition coordinators are at your disposal in Paris and elsewhere in France. Everything affecting the protection of the works and the security of the transport conditions comes under their responsibility. In practical terms, the coordinator makes appointments, orders the manufacture of the crates, draws up a packing list, issues the various work and transport documents, prepares the customs and fine arts documentation, makes freight reservations and maintains permanent contact with the lenders, borrowers and correspondents in other countries.

How can you avoid temporary overloads ? How can you prevent problems of security or equipment damage ? How can you monitor a journey in another country from a distance ? The coordinator will be able to give you the answers.

2 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Coordination methods

The coordinator’s role at LP ART > receiving and processing the list of works to be transported, > agreeing with the client on the methods to be set out in the estimate, > drawing up the schedule, > having the crates made, > making preparations for the customs and fine arts formalities, > making all necessary transport and travelling reservations for the works

and couriers, > ensuring security for the freight, > organizing transportation and handling (trucks, teams, tools, etc), > placing orders with correspondents in other countries, > monitoring the operations and keeping the client informed

on a daily basis, > issuing the documents corresponding to each movement, > receiving all the documents after the services have been provided,

Exhibition service

> preparing invoices.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2


Works & organization documents SITE VISIT REPORT The site visit report is a document summarizing all the information about a work (particularly the dimensions and materials) in order to make arrangements for its handling and packing.

INSTRUCTION SHEET The instruction sheet is a general document containing important technical instructions for each operation : number of staff and resources to be available on a particular date at a particular address.

COLLECTION/DELIVERY SHEET The collection/delivery sheet contains all the data on the collection and delivery addresses. The works, crates or packages to be transported are clearly stated. The collection/delivery sheet, signed by the sender and the recipient (who may state any reservations) is the official transport document for all road trips in France. For foreign countries, a corresponding transport order is also required, as approved by the French Ministry of Transport : the CMR.

ROUND A round is a series of collections and deliveries made consecutively over one or more days. The document includes : the collection/delivery addresses and dates, the number of kilometers, the departure and arrival times, the visiting times and any useful comments.

PACKING LIST The packing list defines the contents of the crates : number of works, dimensions, titles and reference numbers. If there is a large number of crates, a list of the crate reference numbers is attached to the packing list.

3 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Works and organization documents

SHIPPING ADVICE The shipping advice shows all the characteristics of a consignment. The original is sent to the addressee before departure. This is an important document, so check it carefully. For example, a shipping advice must include the following information : sender’s identity, addressee’s identity, number of crates, dimensions and weights of the crates, flight and air waybill numbers, flight departure and arrival times, courier’s name, payment instructions for the consignment, insurance and specific comments.

A good schedule is simple and must be understood by everyone involved (drivers, customs clerks, airport supervisors and also exhibition organizers or curators). It must be standardized for all those involved and must be easy to amend as and when any changes occur. At LP ART, a schedule is drawn up on the basis of the following information : date and time of the operation, type of operation, total number of crates, crate numbers, courier’s name, collection address, comments and additional requirements.

A well-drawn-up schedule is one that the client and installers understand immediately : it is the best sign that an operation is properly under control.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 3

Exhibition service

SCHEDULE


Official transport documents Legally, each transport method has a corresponding document binding on the carrier and limiting its liability.

TRANSPORT ORDERS Transport method

Transport order

Use

Road

LP ART collection/ delivery form

Sufficient for any road transport in France.

CMR international waybill

For all European and international road transport.

Air

Air waybill (AWB)

Single document accompanying the freighted work. Initially, the collection/delivery form is used as the transport document up to the border point in the airport. On arrival, the air waybill is required for customs clearance.

Sea

Bill of lading (BL)

The original is sent by post and a copy accompanies the work on the boat.

Rail

CIM waybill

For all rail transport.

The safety certificate A new development dating from March 2004, the safety certificate is issued by companies holding authorized agent certification. The document, a copy of which must be attached to the AWB, sums up the package’s history from the time of its closing and its visual control to the time of its delivery to the airline. It provides proof that the freight is secure.

4 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Exhibition service

Official transport documents

Air waybill (AWB).

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 4


ASSISTANCE AT THE AIRPORT

How to assist the courier and supervise departures and arrivals ? Air transport is becoming increasingly complex. Safety constraints are getting tighter. Airports are getting busier and busier. Airlines readily change their flights or aircraft at the last minute. The range of fares is so wide that for the same seat on the same flight one ticket may cost six times as much as another one. So how do you ensure that a given consignment is properly palletized and loaded on the planned flight with its courier ? How do you help the courier do his job properly under optimum conditions ? How can you be certain that a work travelling as hand luggage will be accepted on board ? Supervising all these operations and guiding the courier represent a genuine assistance service to which LP ART gives its full attention. Although difficult to measure, it requires a thorough understanding of air transport and the mobilization of significant resources on site at Roissy or Orly. In practice, this means people and vehicles, spending a lot of time in the passenger, freight and traffic areas, etc.


What does courier assistance involve ? PREPARING THE COURIER’S JOURNEY The journey is prepared in liaison with the courier. Along with his airline ticket, we supply him with a written summary of essential information : > airline selected, flight time and number, type of aircraft, > flight details : non-stop or with details of stopovers, if any, > crate dimensions, consignment volume and palletization implications, > he is reminded, if necessary, that the acceptance of hand luggage on any aircraft is subject to the captain’s approval, whether an additional seat is paid for or not, > type of border police document required in the country visited, > name of the company meeting him at the destination and meeting place arranged, > address of his accommodation, > the courier is systematically required to provide a legible photocopy of his passport to enable preparation of the request for the badge allowing him to enter the area under customs supervision.

ASSISTING THE COURIER Assistance at the airport

Depending on whether he is departing or arriving, the services could be described as symmetrical. Take, for instance, an escorted departure from Paris : > collection of the courier at his home, at a hotel or at a museum, > loading the crates in the truck in the presence of the courier, > customs presentation in the special office for exhibitions,

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1


What does courier assistance involve ?

> delivery to the freight area, > obtaining the courier’s badge from the airport authorities, > supervising palletization in the presence of the courier, > accompanying the courier to the passenger area (with a copy of the air waybill) for the border police formalities, > accompanying the courier to the aircraft (with the approval of the supervisor who has accompanied the pallet until its loading onto the aircraft).

Freight or hand luggage ? Ask our advice in advance. May we inform you, for example, that it is now very difficult to plan trips with hand luggage on flights out of the USA.

2 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Supervising a departure Using the same example of a courier leaving Paris with a work of art, the supervisor does his job in the following stages : > on delivery to the freight area, checking the flight and reservation before unloading (with specific measures for the security of the crates in the event of a cancellation), > unloading the crates under customs authority in the freight area by LP ART’s drivers, > checking the markings on the crates and making sure that they match the documentation, > supervising handling by the airline’s warehousemen : slow handling with a forklift truck, positioning on the pallet and protection of the crates by putting plastic film and netting on the pallet, > accompanying the pallet to the aircraft and supervising loading on the aircraft, > giving the OK to the person accompanying the courier in the passenger area,

It is becoming more and more difficult to make reservations because of the increasing quantities of air freight and the generalization of overbooking. As a precaution, on the day before the departure, the LP ART supervisors check that the reservation has indeed been recorded by the airline’s freight warehouse (and that the courier will indeed have a seat on a cargo flight).

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2

Assistance at the airport

> confirmation of the departure to the LP ART HQ with the pallet number (ID code number) once the aircraft has actually departed.


Supervising a departure

RESOURCES MOBILIZED FOR A CONSIGNMENT FROM A PARIS MUSEUM TO THE USA ON A PASSENGER FLIGHT TAKING OFF FROM ROISSY AT 3 PM Hour

Operation

People

Vehicles

9 am

Customs presentation customs office.

1 customs clerk

9 am

Courier collected at his home or hotel.

1 accompanying person

1 car

9.30 am

Loading at the museum, departure.

1 accompanying person 2 drivers

1 car 1 truck

10.30 to 11 am

Delivery at Roissy in the freight are.

1 authorized supervisor 2 drivers

1 car 1 truck

11 am to 2 pm

Unloading, palletization, hand-over of the air waybill and customs documents, supervision and waiting.

1 authorized supervisor

1 car

2 to 2.30 pm

Accompanying the courier to the passenger area. Accompanying the pallet to the aircraft in the traffic area.

1 first authorized supervisor 1 second authorized supervisor

1 car

2.35 pm

OK between the two supervisors.

1 authorised supervisor 1 second authorized supervisor

1 car

3.10 pm

Confirmation of departure

1 authorised supervisor

1 car

sent to LP ART’s HQ.

1 second authorized supervisor

Attention : this process takes a great deal of time and energy. Comprehensive supervision involves delivering the shipment to the airport at least four hours in advance of the flight, with three men, a truck and a follow car to take the courier from the freight area to the passenger area !

3 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


Facilitating airport operations and improving safety AT LP ART, AIRPORT ASSISTANCE IS BASED ON : OUR PERMANENT OFFICE AT ROISSY Our permanent office in the Roissy freight agents terminal enables us to intervene immediately at any time in the airport customs area. This presence means that we are in permanent contact on a basis of mutual trust with the freight company managers and customs officers.

OUR AUTHORIZED SPECIALIZED STAFF LP ART’s authorized airport staff wear badges issued by the airport authorities. These official passes enable them to : > supervise palletization and depalletization in the freight area, > accompany the courier to the passenger area, > accompany the pallet to the aircraft in the traffic area.

OUR INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT LICENCE Our IATA (International Air Transport Association) licence is proof of our financial standing and offers several advantages :

> it enables us to draw up and sign our air waybills, i.e. to supervise our consignments directly and in complete confidentiality, > it gives us the ability to negotiate rates with airlines.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 3

Assistance at the airport

> it guarantees our compliance with air transport regulations and IATA standards (including the requirement for continuous staff training),


Facilitating airport operations and improving safety

OUR AUTHORIZED AGENT CERTIFICATION This certification enables us to ensure freight security by issuing a safety certificate for each AWB and deliver works four hours before the corresponding flight leaves. Otherwise, it is necessary to deliver the crates 24 hours before the departure time and have them X-rayed.

OUR CUSTOMS BROKER LICENCE As approved customs brokers, we can provide the following services : > we can carry out all customs operations on behalf of other parties, > our customs bonds enable us to guarantee inward clearance, EU transit and any other operation, > our SOFI subscription gives us a direct link to the central customs computer, using which, from our HQ or our Roissy office, we can immediately carry out the necessary customs operations for imports and exports. This link with the SOFI also means that we know immediately whether a work has to be presented to customs or not, > our customs clerks visit customs offices in Paris every day, > The PDS (Simplified Declaration Procedure) that enables us to make fast transfers to our bonded warehouse.

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Facilitating airport operations and improving safety

Courier’s checklist > plane ticket, > passport, > copy of the loan agreement, > useful addresses and numbers, > copy of the insurance certificate, > packing list with crate numbers, dimensions, weights and list of items,

and handling instructions, > reports on the condition of the works and photographs of the works, > pallet numbers and possibly their positions in the aircraft hold, > copies of the air waybill, > transit times and possible changes if necessary.

Assistance at the airport

Watch out for drafts ! In winter, remember to take warm clothing for your wait in the freight area.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 4


GALLERY AND PRIVATE OWNER SERVICE

How to limit costs ! Gallery owners, antiques dealers, auctioneers : you may have to send a consignment for restoration, a sale, a private presentation or an international exhibition. Journey times and unit costs are your priorities. For this type of operation, our service is more flexible than for moving collections and exhibitions. Thanks to the professionalism of our staff, our independent transport systems and our negotiating capacity, we can adapt our services. Are you familiar with consolidation ? Do you know about our temporary storage facilities in a strong-room or in private areas ? Consult us - LP Service, a department of LP ART specialized in serving gallery owners and private owners, will offer you a rapid, economic solution. Ask us for a quote !


LP SERVICE’s solutions LP SERVICE’S SOLUTIONS FOR THE NEEDS OF GALLERIES AND PRIVATE OWNERS LP ART offers gallery owners and private owners a full range of technical solutions adapted to their transport and storage needs and a host of management services : > Economic packing . Simple, economic packing sufficient for ordinary requirements. . Crates made at low cost by our workshop or by our crate manufacturing partners. . Reconditioned used crates. > Fast transport . Independent haulage service. . Same-day intervention anywhere. . LP vehicles guided by telephone. . Assistance from our subcontractors if necessary. > Efficient organization . Coordination of dispatching for international shows. . Supervision of customs formalities. . Competitive prices thanks to our commanding position on the market. > Attractive rates . Consolidated solutions for air freight and road haulage.

. Regular shuttle trips throughout France and to other major European capitals. > Simplified formalities . Authorized agent for air freight safety. . Advice and handling of customs formalities for temporary or definitive imports and exports (see the chapter on Fine arts and Customs authorities).

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1

Gallery and private owner service

. A highly competitive network of European partners.


LP SERVICE’s solutions

. Presentation of works in our bonded warehouse without any particular formalities. > Personalized storage . Storage possibilities to suit the specific requirements of galleries and private owners. . Wide range of services : private areas, dedicated areas, private boxes, ordinary boxes, strong-rooms. > Services on demand . Insurance : we can provide insurance for all works not insured by the principal. . Assistance at the airport to supervise operations. . Crates made to measure by our carpentry workshop. . Specialized handling and equipment.

Are you sure that you need exclusive transportation ? Can your dispatch deadlines be made more flexible ? It would be a pity not to take advantage of consolidated rates. Do you need a top of the range crate or an economy crate ? Do you need a crate at all ? If so, what about a second-hand crate ?

International shows : major rendez-vous for galleries F.I.A.C., Chicago, Miami and Basel shows, Paris Photo, Telaf, ARCO in Madrid, Armory show in New York… All these major shows make up large volumes to be dealt with during short periods. LP SERVICE has all the means necessary to intervene under the best possible conditions : a fleet of vehicles available and staff in sufficient numbers.

2 • LP ART TH E GU I DE


LP SERVICE’s solutions

WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE ? As a carrier, LP ART is insured for its civil and contractual liability. As a general rule, works are insured for all risks from nail to nail directly by the client. Otherwise, LP ART can insure works on demand.

Gallery and private owner service

No works are ever carried without insurance.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2


ESTIMATES AND ORDERS

How to request an estimate ? Are you wondering what budget you need to transport an exhibition or a collection ? Do you have to prepare a file for an invitation to tender ? Are you looking for top quality and top value ? Do you want to make an efficient comparison between offers that have been made to you ? Quite rightly, you shop around and you ask us for an estimate and expect a rapid response. However, do you have all the information needed to calculate the price ? Have you drawn up a transport list ? Are all the works correctly identified and situated geographically ? Before consulting us, think, like us, about all the details. Our estimate will then be more reliable and the final cost will be controlled more effectively. Of course, you cannot foresee everything. It’s our job to help you.


What makes a good transport list ? As you may well imagine, the estimate is a decisive phase in reaching a good agreement on an operation, especially when a large number of works in many different locations have to be assembled and then returned to their countries of origin. To respond clearly to your estimate request, we first need a good transport list, i.e. a list that clearly classifies and identifies the works, address by address and then work by work. If you are an exhibition organizer, remember to give us the following information for each work : > Exact address of the collection venue : California is not an adequate address: the costs will be different if the work is in San Diego or Berkeley. > Characteristics of the collection venue : fourth floor without a lift ? Six meters above an altar in a provincial church ? > Type of work and dimensions : oil on canvas, 220 x 182 cm with or without frame, silver casket with incrusted ivory, height : 15 cm, diameter: 18.5 cm. > Title and artist’s name : the bare minimum to identify a work ! > Inventory N° : for works in museums. > Identity of the lending owner : is the lender a private owner, a gallery or a museum ? In the case of an export, the formalities are not the same. > Lender’s requirements : which type of crate is requested ? Will there be a courier ? The type of operation depends on this information. > Year of creation and value of work : depending on the country of origin, this data makes it possible to find out whether the operation is covered by fine arts export controls. > Customs status of the work at its collection address : is the work under customs authority or does it belong to the lender at this address ? Don't forget

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 1

Estimates and orders

Attention! Please specify whether the dimensions of your work are in centimeters or inches and remember that it is the convention among carriers to note the dimensions of crates as length x width x height.


The key items in an estimate OUR ESTIMATES ARE MADE UP OF FIVE KEY ITEMS : > Crates When the crates are made to measure, the price depends on the category and dimensions. It is calculated per « developed square meter », i.e. the total surface area of the six sides. Our price lists take into account the amounts of materials used (wood, foam, screws and bolts) and the labour needed to make the crates. > Packing This item includes the work of our installers to wrap the works in soft packing or pack them into crates. If crates are used, the item includes transport of the empty crates to the packing site and the time spent packing the objects into the crates. > Administration We or our correspondents provide a service involving permanent monitoring for each operation : fine arts and customs formalities, visits by our staff to customs offices, regular contacts by fax and phone, updating schedules, etc. These costs are estimated by the hour. > Transport Trucking is estimated by the hour and by the kilometer according to the type of vehicle used. Air and sea freight prices are obtained from companies for each operation ; they are calculated either by the kilogram, on the basis of the actual weight or weight-cubic capacity (at a rate of 166 kg per cubic meter), or by the pallet or container. > Courier costs Courier supervision and assistance are priced on the basis of the time spent. The cost of air tickets is supplied to us by the airlines.

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The key items in an estimate

Why LP ART’s estimates have a reputation for being well drawn up OUR ESTIMATES ARE DETAILED : each item concerns a clearly identifiable, measurable service provided. Above all, we explain our choices: why a particular operation requires four installers, why the consignment should transit via Chicago rather than New York, etc. OUR ESTIMATES ARE CHRONOLOGICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE : we describe the trip as such to provide a clear understanding of all the specific constraints involved in each made to measure operation and foresee the overall process. OUR ESTIMATES ARE PRACTICAL : the schedule can be deduced directly. With information on the number of consignments and details of each round, all we have to do is agree on the dates. OUR ESTIMATES ARE ISSUED QUICKLY : you have to meet the deadline of an exhibition or other event. It has taken you weeks to assemble all the information for the transport list. Now it’s up to us to save you time.

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 2

Estimates and orders

Are you sure that you have considered everything : transport methods and times, types of packing approved by the lenders, administrative and customs formalities ? To avoid unpleasant surprises, ask LP ART’s specialists for advice !


How to place an order ? A clear, precise estimate will help you place your order clearly and precisely. Don’t forget the following : > place your order in writing for a defined service and a defined price, > make sure that the order signatory is empowered to sign, > specify the deadline for completion of our service, > agree on the payment dates and methods with us in advance. However, bear in mind that if we are working together for the first time, we will request payment on delivery. When you make your next request for an estimate, you can use the following example :

EXAMPLE OF A LIST COVERING TWO WORKS Town, country

Type de collection

Lender

Collection address

Title, artist’s name, date of creation

Techniques and materials

Jackson, Colorado, USA

Public

Museum of Fine Art

50th avenue 27302 Jackson Colorado Fax

Still life 2 R. Falcon - 1957

Acrylic on canvas

Pyramid M. Duplantier - 1970

Polychrome wood

…………………………………………………

Tél. …………………………………………………

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Public

Museo de Arte

Calle 36, Z.12 Fax …………………………………………………

Tél. …………………………………………………

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Dimension with the frame or base

State of preservation

Value

Courier

Comments

160 cm x 120 cm

180 cm x 140 cm

Good

180,000 €

No

-

Very fragile

450,000 €

-

Existing insulated crate

127 cm x 66 cm x 67 cm

LP ART TH E GU I DE • 3

Estimates and orders

Dimension without the frame or base




LP ART AGENCIES NETWORK PARIS - MONTREUIL Head office: 274-276, rue de Rosny - 93100 MONTREUIL Tel. +33 (0)1 49 35 30 00 - Fax. +33 (0)1 49 35 30 10 Fine art storage: Tel. +33 (0)1 48 94 95 88 Fax. +33 (0)1 48 90 25 25 PARIS - LA COURNEUVE Warehouse: 34-36, rue Paul Vaillant Couturier - 93120 LA COURNEUVE Tel. +33 (0)1 49 92 90 10 - Fax. +33 (0)1 49 92 90 19 LYON ZI Le Broteau - 69540 IRIGNY Tel. +33 (0)4 72 39 20 30 - Fax. +33 (0)4 72 39 12 13 NICE ZI des 3 moulins - 400, avenue Henri Laugier - Bât A - 06600 ANTIBES Tel. +33 (0)4 92 91 10 12 - Fax. +33 (0)4 93 65 81 16 TOULOUSE 55, avenue Louis Bréguet - 31400 TOULOUSE Tel. +33 (0)5 62 47 07 77 - Fax. +33 (0)5 62 47 04 14 NANTES 28, rue Louis Pasteur - 44119 TREILLIERES Tel. +33 (0)2 51 12 00 98 - Fax. +33 (0)2 28 01 37 37 CAIRO 17, AL Ahram St - Heliopolis - Cairo - EGYPT Tel. +202 690 56 55 - Fax. +202 690 56 54


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