Art at Sea Symposium

The inaugural Art at Sea Symposium will take place in London next week.  The programme of discussion looks to cover many elements of the art and superyacht world, such as conservation, design, logistics, troubleshooting and training for crew.  The programme features presentations from those well-known in the superyacht sphere, including Clyde & Co, La Playa, PwC and Hill Dickinson, and experts from the art world, such as Momart and Pandora Art Services.

Inherently, there are many different aspects to consider when placing art on board. The insurance implications when travelling in different waters, for example, or if the yacht has a corporate structure or not, should all be discussed by the owner and their advisors. “We are bringing the fine art and superyacht industry professionals together,” begins Pandora Mather-Lees, founder of Pandora Art Services and organiser of the event, speaking to SuperyachtNews. “It is an area of growing importance, as the ultra-high-net-worth market grows, owners of high value art portfolios and superyacht owners are naturally growing too, indeed typically the superyacht owner tends to be an art owner as well. These are individuals who like to invest in luxury assets across the board."

Mather-Lees believes that there is a gap in the market for art training for crew, particularly after hearing horror stories about ruined pieces of artwork on board that fell victim to stray champagne corks or aggressive cleaning products.  “I was in Monaco and I was very interested to see so many training companies and courses for interior crew, but there was nothing related to art. Superyachts have an awful lot of art on board; Andy Warhol and Picasso for example.”

Mather-Lees highlights that crew need to understand the delicate nature of the art, looking at the placement on board the yacht (ensuring that paintings are not in direct sunlight), the methods of cleaning and conservation of any pieces, as well as having the knowledge of what to do if something does go wrong. Along with Helen Robertson, an ex-stewardess and organic conservator at the National Maritime Museum, Mather-Lees will be leading the event's penultimate session. This will detail the training needed for the correct handling of priceless artworks found on board.

The Art at Sea Symposium will take place on 1 March at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. SuperyachtNews will be reporting live from the event. For more information, click here.

Images: Art on board MY Galactica Star (Bannenberg & Rowell and David Churchill Photography)

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