Hong Kong museum M+ is running the first full-scale retrospective of Ieoh Ming Pei’s life and career. The special exhibition, IM Pei: Life is Architecture, runs through to 5 January 2025.  I. M. Pei is one of the most influential architects of the 20th and 21st century, and his high-profile projects include the modernisation of the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery of Art East Building in Washington DC, and the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong. 

With such an extensive catalogue of work, the exhibition involved the careful transport of approximately 180 works through its travel partner Cathay, including models of his projects prior to their actual construction. The transport of valuable and delicate models and other works was supported by Cathay Cargo’s Cathay Expert solution, which offers bespoke shipment design for large, heavy and, in this case, fragile shipments.

‘Cathay is proud to have been the travel partner for this retrospective on I. M. Pei,’ said Cathay Cargo Director Cargo Tom Owen. ‘We are honoured to continue our support for Hong Kong’s cultural scene and pleased to offer our careful and meticulous service in transporting Pei’s works to our city for this exhibition at M+.’

Below, Julie Traitsis, Senior Registrar, Loans and Exhibitions at M+ outlines the scale of the shipment challenges that Cathay Cargo’s teams overcame.

What was the total quantity of artwork shipped by air?

Approximately 180 works were shipped to Hong Kong by air.

Which works were considered the most valuable and/or delicate, and why? 

The most challenging objects to transport were the architectural models, which are extremely fragile. They were mostly made by hand with paper and acrylic, for the purpose of visualising the design of a building before its construction. They were not made for long-term use or to withstand multiple handling, movement or transportation. For example, small objects on the model (like miniature trees and buildings) can easily detach, even from minor vibrations during transit. Special museum crates were built to absorb vibration during any movement, reducing the impact to the model. Careful handling of the crates is really important to prevent the risk of damage. 

What special handling did Cathay Cargo organise for these shipments for their journey and on arrival? 

Cathay Cargo provided an exceptional level of service that reduced a lot of risks when transporting these delicate models. The team was able to prioritise our cargo and to assist in reducing the amount of handling and movement. This included booking direct routes to Hong Kong, securing our cargo on our preferred flights, and only moving the crates when necessary. The team moved and handled the crates slowly and with extreme care in a secure area that could only be accessed by approved personnel. They also ensured our crates were never tilted nor stacked. 

Were the items from the US consolidated prior to being shipped out as a single shipment?

Most works in this exhibition came from the US. Rather than moving everything to one location in the US, we used Cathay Cargo to ship the works from various states across the country to Hong Kong. This helped reduce the amount of handling and movement.

Were the shipped items accompanied by a traveling courier?

Some lenders required a courier to escort their crates throughout the entire journey to Hong Kong. This included overseeing palletisation at an international airport in the US, travelling with the cargo on the same flight and then overseeing the depalletisation at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). The courier’s job is to ensure the safety and security of works during the entire transit period. For works that were not escorted, M+ staff met the cargo at HKIA to oversee the depalletisation and delivery to the museum. 

How would you evaluate the performance and service provided by Cathay Cargo?

We are very grateful for the support from Cathay Cargo teams, especially in prioritising flight bookings and loading on to the aircraft. They also assisted in minimising crate handling at the airport and long waiting periods that could expose our crates to uncontrolled environments. Cathay Cargo worked closely with our fine art logistic agents to coordinate the flight bookings to meet our exhibition schedule.