HUDSON OH.- As wildfires continue to sweep across vast areas of the United States and Europe, the priority of safeguarding cultural treasures against this threat has become paramount. The risk to prized national objects and sites of special cultural interest is under the spotlight at the moment as wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, have torn through the second-largest island in the state. The historic town of Lahaina has experienced some of the most intense blazes, and significant damage has been done to several cultural sites, including those under the responsibility of The Lahaina Restoration Foundation.
The international cultural heartbreak caused by this destruction is insurmountable, but among the unsung heroes working diligently to protect irreplaceable artworks at risk are art shipping companies, supporting emergency response teams all over the world. These dedicated professionals play a critical role in evacuating artworks and preparing for potential disasters, ensuring that the cultural heritage of the affected countries remains preserved and protected.
For Jonathan Schwartz, Atelier 4’s CEO and the Chair of the Steering Committee for
ICEFAT, the global trade organisation of art logistics experts, “the ferocious wildfires across the world pose an ongoing threat not only to people’s lives and homes, but also to some of our greatest global cultural treasures.” He firmly believes that, “it’s down to the bravery, strategy and forethought of art shippers that great works from both private and public collections are protected.” Schwartz understands the evacuation of extraordinary pieces of art, from paintings to sculptures and everything in between, is no easy feat. “It requires quick thinking, in-depth artistic and logistic knowledge and experience, and of course, the utmost care and attention. Ultimately, our members’ technicians and drivers are dealing with our clients’ most prized possessions, and often, the prized possession of a nation.”
George Lacovara, Director of Los Angeles Operations at Gander & White, is a firm believer in ensuring private art collectors in high-risk areas are prepared for the fire season. "Many private art collectors in high-risk areas pay art shippers a retainer during the fire season,” he says, which falls between August 1st and November 30th. Lacovara adds, “we work with clients to identify key artworks and pre-build storage crates for them in the event of a fire." Collaborations between private art collectors and logistics companies such as this have proven instrumental in protecting valuable pieces. As wildfires become more frequent and severe, the need for proactive measures to safeguard collections from potential disasters becomes paramount.
The proactive approach of art logistics teams is crucial as wildfires spread rapidly, demanding meticulous planning and swift execution. Dimitris Katsadakis, Vice President at Orphee Beinoglou, emphasises the company’s commitment to supporting firefighting efforts, saying, "we have been supporting the National Fire Brigade with material donation and trucking. We are the official Freight Forwarder of the Fire Fighting Company with helicopters & air tractor hydro planes - we import and export and customs clear the helicopters and all the logistics of spare parts."
For Lacovara and his team at Gander & White, the preservation of artworks throughout the wildfire season takes precedence. When wildfires approach, ongoing projects are deprioritised, and all resources are channelled into urgent evacuations. Demand for such operations has spiked in recent years due to the impact of global warming, making the art logistics industry's role even more vital in safeguarding artistic treasures.
Across the Pacific, Australia’s forests have been dramatically impacted by the country’s annual bushfire seasons. The landmass affected is likened to that of England or South Korea. Alongside human and animal loss of life, artwork and objects of immense cultural value have also been threatened by these fires. International Art Services is an Australian art shipper that assists its clients in disaster mitigation, including a number of regional galleries, many of which housed nationally significant collections and are located in the fire zones. Among these institutions is the Norman Lindsay Gallery, the former home of the 20th-century Australian artist and a museum belonging to the National Trust of Australia.
In 2013, As International Art Services was closing its offices to observe the Christmas holiday, they received a call from the museum requesting an emergency, same-day evacuation of their most valuable works. “We removed every single work in a 14-hour period,” says IAS Managing Director, Kingsley Mundey. “At the end, the fire hoses were running between our trucks as the firefighters fought the flames. The last truck came out just as the flames reached the back boundary of the gallery, but not a single work was lost or damaged.”
Ultimately, the global art shipping community is tackling an increased risk to their clients’ collections, and needs to think laterally and ‘outside the crate’ to ensure there are plans in place. For a number of clients in high-risk areas, it’s increasingly a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if,’ so custodians of both private and public collections must put the fate of their heritage into the hands of the art shipping community.
