For the first time on the African continent, Cuban art has taken centre stage. Open to the public since 23 February 2024, the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is hosting a unique exhibition, titled Across the Atlantic: CUBAN ART.
To orchestrate the event, the National Museum Foundation called on AGS Morocco to manage the packing and transportation of some 110 works from Cuba and New York. Consisting of paintings, photographs, sculptures, and installations by 23 Cuban artists, they provide insight into the influences that have shaped Cuban art.
“This project was special for two reasons,” says Clément Beauvais, head of AGS fine art logistics in Africa. “Firstly, because several of the works came from Cuba, a geopolitically sensitive country with distinct customs regulations.
Secondly, because our team also had to assemble and install the works at the exhibition. The foundation required professional help from a team with enough experience to respect the positioning instructions and ensure the works were exhibited correctly.”
More complex formalities from Cuba
To ship the pieces from Cuba, AGS Morocco tapped into its network of specialised agents to find the right local partner. It was this partner who navigated Cuban customs, completing the documentation required to obtain export permits.
They also oversaw the delicate packing of the works together with the artists themselves. And it is thanks to their flexibility and responsiveness that AGS could ensure the works arrived in Morocco on time.
The pieces from New York arrived via a more conventional process, with a longstanding AGS partner on site. But flexibility was crucial until the very end as some of the pieces selected changed at the last minute.
Morocco, a key country for the development of fine art
“Morocco has become an important cultural hub for fine art in Africa,” adds Clément Beauvais. “The Kingdom is committed to developing its cultural and museum sector as a way of forging links with other nations. Morocco, with its generations of contemporary artists, contributes to Africa’s cultural influence throughout the world.”
AGS Morocco has already provided logistical support for several art exhibitions:
- Transporting extremely fragile and valuable archaeological finds from Morocco to Spain for Around the columns of Hercules, the millennia-old relationship between Morocco and Spain, an exhibition designed to promote cultural exchange.
- Shipping Beninese works from Rabat to France for the exhibition Benin from yesterday to today, from restitution to revelation.
- Transporting a complete exhibition from Rabat to Lisbon for an exposition titled A History of Moroccan Art, featuring contemporary Moroccan artists.
“The transport of fine art requires specific services and precise handling,” emphasises Gil Recizac, head of AGS Morocco. “Clément Beauvais plays an essential role in the development and success of this new department. AGS now has expertise in a technically demanding and complex sector and can draw on a network of subsidiaries for all these operations.”
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