AGS supports Togo’s debut at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale

Centred around the theme, “Considering Togo’s Architectural Heritage,” the pavilion explores the relationship between traditional building techniques and modern architecture through a series of suspended textile banners.

Each banner features two photographs of iconic Togolese buildings, ancient and modern, and is weighted down by traditional pottery.

Bringing the pavilion to life with teamwork

The exhibit was commissioned by Sonia Lawson, founding director of Togo’s first arts and culture centre, the Palais de Lomé.  It is as striking as she imagined, but to make her vision a reality demanded expert logistical support.

To safely fly the exhibition pieces from Lomé to Venice, including the 35 handmade clay pots, the AGS Togo team custom-built three wooden crates lined with foam. They then inserted robust lattices of liners and paper, specially made to hold each pot snugly in place.

With guidance from AGS’s dedicated fine-art division, they also completed the exhaustive documentation required to comply with Togolese and Italian regulations. This included preparing a detailed packing list, a pro forma invoice, and a global inventory containing each item’s construction material, weight, age, and provenance.

At the same time, the fine-art division leveraged its international network to select a specialised agent capable of transporting the fragile shipment from Milan airport to the exhibition hall in Venice.

Navigating the last mile

This last leg was highly symbolic, traversing the historic canals of Venice to deliver the exhibit in two of the city’s iconic black gondolas. Although picturesque, this method of delivery presents considerable logistical challenges.

Gondolas have a limited load capacity and require delicate handling – an issue the AGS team overcame with foresight, splitting the exhibit over multiple smaller crates before its journey to Italy.

After a seamless delivery, the Togolese pavilion opened on 10 May and will continue to wow visitors until the Venice Biennale ends on 23 November.

For Sonia, the success of the operation illustrates the Togo team’s skill. “AGS stands out for its specialised expertise in the international transport of works of art, particularly on the African continent,” she said.

Would you like to entrust the transport of your works of art to specialists? Contact AGS for a personalised quote and enjoy tailor-made support for your exceptional moving projects.