Antonio Signorini, born in Italy and based in Dubai, is a renowned artist whose sculptures were to stand tall and proud at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). His company from Italy organised an outdoor art exhibition at DIFC's stunning Gate Avenue Roof Top and chose Cargo Line Shipping Services as their logistics partner to transport and install their artworks. Just the way every inch of the artworks were crafted to perfection, similarly, every inch of our move was executed with precision.
"We moulded ourselves to the task in such a way that there were multiple 'Plan B's'. We foresaw risks and prepared troubleshooting methods to address each of these risks. Reliability in our service is a fundamental principle at Cargo Line."
Every door at the final location where the artworks were to be exhibited had specific dimensions to pass through and the weight of each sculpture ranged from 2kg to a whopping 1400kg. We scoured the UAE and procured a forklift that uniquely suited the weight capacity and dimensions of the cargo elevator at DIFC. This effort greatly improved the safety in material handling as we were able to transport the sculptures (packed in crates) to their designated spots in the safest way possible.
Since most of the artworks were heavy, our team used a tailor-made floor-protection technique where rubber mats were used to transport them around the location with the sculptures also specially cushioned in the crates. Heavy duty sling belts were used to lift each sculpture, along with a customized mounting technique for each piece – a carpet at the bottom, followed by a rubber mat (with thickness of 8mm), a pedestal and finally the artwork regally placed at the very top.
"We lend a keen ear to our client's requirements. Just as a sculptor introspects and envisions his artwork, our attention to detail regarding our client's requirements enables us to create powerful solutions that are relevant and reliable. In this project, Mr. Antonio worked very closely with our team and his guidance was strictly followed at every stage possible."
Our client vested their faith in us to envision a transportation masterplan and curate transport procedures at a fairly early stage as we planned this exhibition. Once our client shared their outlook, we suggested an import for re-export customs declaration – a feature that enabled a temporary import of all artworks, just by paying a customs duty deposit, which was re-claimed as soon as all artworks were re-exported out of the UAE and back to Italy. Since these artworks were expensive, applying this feature brought about massive savings on customs duty, since VAT was high.
Mr. Antonio's rapport with our team was built on one of the most powerful features that binds our service – trust. He witnessed the manner in which we executed our plan with precision, confidence and care. Every step taken by us reassured the client that our thought process and problem-solving abilities were absolutely shatterproof. This trust developed into a deep-rooted connection to such a wonderful extent that Cargo Line was subsequently appointed for multiple other movements of his artwork.
"Cargo Line Shipping Services moved what I created - my works of art. I trusted them with my life's work, not once, but repeatedly. That says a lot about their skills, reliability and our relationship."
Antonio Signorini, CEO of 71 Structural Art, Dubai.
"Although we are located in Italy, we spoke with Cargo Line due to their effective communication and prior experience. Subsequently, we awarded them this job of handling our artworks. They kept us well informed and assured about their team's planning and the result was that both the installation and dismantling of our artworks were satisfactorily done."
Federico Marinelli, CEO of Frilli Gallery, Rome.