AGS Guadeloupe was recently selected by the Caribbean Centre for Expression and Remembrance of Trafficking and Slavery (Memorial ACTe) to transport numerous artworks for display at an exhibition in Pointe-à-Pitre.

The exhibition, titled The Black Model, from Géricault to Picasso, runs from 14 September to 29 December, 2019. AGS Guadeloupe transported the works from their point of arrival in Guadeloupe at Pointe-à-Pitre airport, to the exhibition venue at Memorial ACTe. The selected pieces arrived on five different flights, between 21-28 August, 2019.

AGS Guadeloupe Manager, François Chataigne, was on hand as the precious cargo was unloaded, and supervised this exceptional move from end-to-end. AGS used a refrigerated vehicle to keep the crates at the required temperature of 22°C during transport. Three motorcycle policemen and members of the Raid - a specialised task force within the French police – escorted the AGS team on the journey and kept watch as they unloaded the works at Memorial ACTe under high security.

AGS Guadeloupe is also in charge of the preservation of the empty crates throughout the exhibition. To ensure the protective foam packaging does not deteriorate in the heat of the West Indies, the crates are kept in a refrigerated container at a temperature of 22°C. AGS Guadeloupe will also take care of the transportation of the artworks from the Memorial ACTe when they return to their original museums in January 2020.

Organised by the Memorial ACTe, in collaboration with the Orsay Museum of Paris and the Wallach Art Gallery of New York, the exhibition consists of 100 pieces; paintings, drawings, photographs and historical documents. The exhibition shows the evolution of artists' views of the black model, from the beginning of the 19th century to the end of the first half of the 20th century.

Photos: Arrival at airport, Loading, Police escorting the valuable cargo.