Artwork Transport for Collectors and Artists
A canvas sold from the studio to a buyer living abroad. A purchase made at auction that needs bringing home. A piece lent for an exhibition, or sent to a restorer at the other end of the country. You are not a logistics professional, and yet the artwork has to travel, and arrive intact. Until now, you had to choose between a general carrier who doesn’t know what a canvas is, and a specialist whose prices and lead times are designed for museums.
Moviiu was designed to bridge that gap: the rigour of an international network of fine art carriers, that of the Horus Group, available in just a few clicks.
Why do collectors and artists need a solution tailored to them?
You don’t send ten shipments a week. You send one, from time to time, and each one matters. The artwork is unique, it has sentimental as well as market value, and you have no storage, no registrar and no customs department to support you.
The same three questions come up every time: how to protect the piece without professional equipment, how much it will cost before committing, and how to know where it is once it has left.
On top of that come situations specific to private individuals and independent artists:
Every shipment is different
Artists know art logistics, but each shipment brings its own constraints, customs formalities and tailored precautions.
Remote sales
An artist selling online, or a collector selling a piece to a private buyer, has to deliver to someone they will never meet.
International shipping
As soon as the artwork crosses a border outside the European Union, customs comes into play, with its documents and taxes.
Budget
With no volume to negotiate, the price of specialist transport can quickly exceed the value of the shipment.
Moviiu relies on the 17 Horus Group companies specialising in fine art logistics around the world, and on a shipping volume that allows us to pass negotiated rates on to every client, however often they ship.
A solution for every type of object
Whether you are shipping an oil painting, a bronze, a framed print or an antique binding, the packing adapts to the piece:
Paintings and drawings
Instant quote up to 180 × 147 × 25 cm, frame included, then door-to-door delivery.
Sculptures and 3D objects
Instant quote up to 104 × 60 × 57 cm. Beyond that, or for marble pieces, our team prepares a custom quote.
Photographs, prints and works on paper
Framed or unframed, same size limit as paintings, with surface protection suited to prints.
Books, watches, jewellery and small precious objects
Reinforced triple-wall cardboard packaging lined with high-density foam, sized to your measurements.
For anything outside these sizes, write to us at info@moviiu.com: we will put together a suitable offer outside the online quote.
Two ways to entrust us with your artwork
1. The “All-Inclusive” Service: you don't lift a finger
For a valuable piece, a bulky format, a fragile object, or simply because you would rather not handle the artwork yourself.
- White-glove collection: fine art technicians collect the piece from your home or studio.
- Packed by us: the piece is packed by our packers according to its nature, up to a wooden crate if needed.
- Transport and delivery handled end to end: customs formalities, shipping, hand delivery, and on request installation or hanging at destination.
2. The “Self-Service” Mode: you pack, we do the rest
For standard formats and artworks you can handle safely. It is the most economical option.
- A price straight away: enter the dimensions, weight, value and both addresses, and the price is displayed. No account needed to get a quote.
- Packaging delivered to your door: within two days of confirmation, you receive a box made to the dimensions of your artwork, with the adhesive strips already applied.
- A video tutorial to guide you: place the artwork in the packaging by following the steps, with no other materials needed.
- A collection to schedule: from your notification email or your client account, you choose the time. Depending on when you book, collection takes place the same day or the next day, by DHL Express, FedEx or UPS.
What it changes for you
You know what you will pay before committing
The quote is all-inclusive, door to door, and does not commit you to anything until you confirm.
You have nothing to explain to the recipient
As soon as the piece is collected, you and the recipient receive a notification with the tracking number. The recipient is then informed of the expected delivery date and a time slot. If they are not in on the first attempt, they arrange a new date directly with the carrier.
You can change your mind
An address to change, a collection to postpone: just contact us. As long as your custom packaging has not been produced, cancellation is fully refunded.
You keep a record
Creating a free account is optional, but it lets you find your quotes, shipments, invoices and customs documents in one place.
A point to watch: the declared value.
It is used both for insurance and for customs. An undervalued declaration limits compensation in the event of a claim. An overvalued one needlessly increases the duties and taxes charged to the recipient in the destination country. For an artist, use the invoiced sale price; for a collector, the purchase invoice or the auction sale invoice.
The hidden costs of art shipping: why choose Moviiu?
Shipping an artwork yourself often leads to unexpected costs, lost time and avoidable risks. By integrating the whole logistics chain, Moviiu removes these hidden costs:
Packing materials and storage
Buying reinforced cardboard, high-density foam or Tyvek in small quantities is expensive and leaves you storing unused surplus. Moviiu delivers custom high-performance triple-wall cardboard packaging, sized exactly for your piece, with no waste or extra cost.
Packing time and expertise
Measuring, cutting and assembling protection takes hours of work with no guarantee of optimal safety. Our packaging is designed to your exact measurements for a perfect fit, and our technicians can handle the whole process.
Volumetric weight and oversizing
Using a box that is too big sends shipping costs soaring, since they are calculated on the volume taken up. Moviiu fits the parcel to the millimetre to minimise empty space, reducing the shipping bill while keeping the artwork safe.
Choice of carrier and pricing
Without a professional contract, you pay full price with carriers and have to handle complex customs codes yourself. Moviiu passes on its pre-negotiated rates with DHL, FedEx and UPS, and its system automatically selects the right HS code for your artwork.
Time-consuming admin follow-up
Coordinating time slots, contacting customer services or sorting out delays takes considerable energy. Moviiu centralises tracking, keeps the recipient informed in real time and deals directly with carriers when something goes wrong.
Customs blockages and fees
An error in the proforma declaration or missing regulatory documents can hold a parcel at the border. Our platform automatically generates the customs invoices and export documents required for smooth customs clearance.
Insufficient insurance cover
Carriers’ basic insurance compensates by weight (between €23 and €30 per kilo), which is negligible for an artwork. Moviiu offers tailored ad valorem insurance, with no excess, covering the real value of the artwork up to €100,000 (and €25,000 for jewellery).
Case studies: two common situations
Berlin ➔ Lyon
Requirement: An artist sells a standard-format canvas from their studio to a French collector who bought it online.
Moviiu logistics solution: Self-Service Mode: instant quote, custom packaging delivered to the studio, packing following the tutorial, collection by the partner carrier, door-to-door delivery in Lyon with shared tracking.
Geneva ➔ Paris
Requirement: A collector brings home a bronze sculpture bought at auction in Geneva.
Moviiu logistics solution: All-Inclusive Service: white-glove collection in Geneva, packing and bracing by our teams, Swiss export and EU import formalities, home delivery with installation on site.
Ad valorem insurance and storage
Cover with no excess, in one click
When you request your quote, you can insure the artwork with Moviiu’s ad valorem insurance: 1% of the declared value, with a minimum of €20, and no excess in the event of damage. The ceiling is €100,000 for artworks and €25,000 for jewellery. Above that, our team reviews your case to offer suitable cover, on request at info@moviiu.com.
This cover only applies to shipments packed in Moviiu secure packaging. If your artwork travels in your own crate or box, it cannot be insured by us.
If damage is found on delivery, report it within 72 hours with photos. The claim is processed within 15 days.
Need to keep an artwork safe?
Moving house, building work, a collection outgrowing your walls: our sister companies have more than 200,000 m² of warehouses dedicated to storing artworks and valuables around the world. For this kind of need, write to us at info@moviiu.com and we will put you in touch with the most suitable site.
Getting your quote: how it works
Less than two minutes, no sign-up:
1. Addresses
Collection point, at your home or studio, and delivery address.
2. The artwork
Type of object, overall dimensions including the frame, weight and value. If it is already packed, enter the outer dimensions of the crate.
3. Service level
Self-Service or All-Inclusive, and insurance if you want it.
4. Confirmation
You sign electronically and your shipping documents are generated.
You don't need to become a logistics expert to ship an artwork.
A simple tool, a network that knows art, and your piece arrives just as it left.