Art attack

Camilla Liverton paints a vivid picture of the logistics operations behind this year's successful Art Dubai exhibition.

Although the Middle East can be considered a newcomer in the world of contemporary art, the region is making great strides in developing its market for modern paintings, sculptures and other creative artefacts.

In particular, Dubai has emerged as the Middle Eastern epicentre for international artists and galleries, who are flocking in their hundreds to capitalise on the local market boom.

"International galleries are starting to look at Dubai as the next big thing," says Camilla Liverton, director of the annual Art Dubai exhibition, which took place at Madinat Jumeirah last month.

"The market is developing at a rapid pace and continues to present some of the most exciting opportunities in the world for companies dealing in contemporary art."

Following its successful inauguration in 2007, organisers of Art Dubai decided to double the exhibition's size this year, with approximately 70 of the world's leading contemporary and modern galleries taking part.

"We placed a strong emphasis on galleries from emerging markets in Asia, the Middle East and Far East, which were showcased alongside a number of established international dealers, such as Max Lang from New York, Albion from London and Kashya Hildebrand from Zurich," continues Liverton.

"This diversity, in addition to the calibre of galleries taking part, speaks volumes about Dubai's potential to become a leading international centre for innovative and contemporary art.

With such a large number of galleries involved in the event, the organisers were faced with a number of logistical challenges. It took several months of meticulous pre-planning to ensure the artwork was securely transported to Dubai from several different locations around the world.

"The logistics involved in art exhibitions are quite complex and require careful planning and seamless coordination between various different parties," says Liverton.

We're talking about the international transportation of delicate and expensive artwork from 28 countries around the world. Some of the pieces are worth millions of dollars, so we cannot afford any damage along the way.

The collections for this year's event hailed from countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, North America, India and South Korea, with considerable variation in the weight and dimension of each shipment.

"To ensure the cargo is protected during transportation, we need to take into consideration the characteristic and sensibility of the artwork, together with the mode of transportation being used," explains Liverton.

The packaging is normally customised with high-quality material that complies with international standards. Depending on the nature of the item being transported, a tailor-made crate might be required too.

The bulk of the shipments are transported by airfreight into Dubai International Airport, with the entire process being supervised by a team of experts to prevent rough handling or theft.

The galleries are provided with a strict deadline for their cargo's arrival, which is typically one month before the event is scheduled to take place.

"It's occasionally difficult to schedule a timeframe for deliveries, because the artwork is sometimes being created in time for the exhibition, with possible delays along the way. At least with airfreight, the transportation is relatively fast and requires less handling," says Liverton. "Around 80% of the shipments are transported by airfreight.

For larger sculptures, it's more practical to use shipping services, despite the unpredictable timeframe, simply because it dramatically reduces the costs.