Author: Robin Harsch

Harsch installs enormous sculptures in the Parc des Eaux-vives for artgeneve

Posted on by Robin Harsch

A majestic park for 14 sculptures

Organised by Thomas Hug, Director of artgenéve, Lionel Bovier, Director of MAMCO (Geneva’s Museum of Contemporary and Modern Art), and Michèle Freiburghaus Lens, Cultural Counsellor in charge of FMAC (City of Geneva Fund for Contemporary Art), the first edition of the Geneva Sculptures Biennale will take place this summer in the majestic Parc des Eaux-Vives. This follows on from artgeneve’s initiative to display sculptures in public spaces, on the Quai Wilson during the fair, and in this same park during the summer of 2016. The objective is to enable Geneva’s artistic scene to inscribe a second date in the international calendar of contemporary art events.

Lionel Bovier member of the organising committee

Lionel Bovier, director of MAMCO and curator of the 2018 Biennale explains the conception of the event : “the exhibition is conceived as a journey, an invitation to take a stroll in the Park, in order to discover contemporary artistic creations. These have been disposed to offer the walker a series of encounters, either in dialogue with the landscape, or in contrast to it, through the incursion of urban themes. In effect, one discovers a giant mushroom and an aluminium tree struck by lightning, as well as phone booths put to other uses and a flying saucer….thus 14 works inhabit, for the duration of a summer, the pathways and the grasslands, the copses and the glades, of a landscaped park so loved by Geneva’s inhabitants.

Harsch sponsor of the event

Our company is very proud to be able to participate in its own way in this Biennale de Sculptures. Our employees have spent many hours installing these enormous works of art, which require very specialized expertise.

Here is a short film describing the installation of some of these sculptures. But nothing replaces a walk through the Parc des Eaux-Vives this summer, up to September 8th, when the exhibition ends. In this way you will this be able to appreciate this incredible duality between Nature and Art.

Getting ready for your move.

Posted on by Robin Harsch

To move means a change, and that’s sometimes difficult. It upsets the daily routine both for you and your family. It represents one of the major causes of stress in people’s lives.

With the help of professionals, you can make moving a success.

Here are some suggestions to make sure you get it right.

In french

 

Plan in advance:

 

Whether you are just going across the road or to another part of the world, it’s a good idea to plan things in advance especially if the move is planned to take place between June and August.

For moves within Switzerland you should contact your moving company two weeks before.

For international moves, one month’s notice is enough.

 

préparer son déménagement : le bon timing

 

Advise your landlord or the condominium syndicate :

 

If you rent your house or apartment, be sure to warn your landlord and properly terminate your lease agreement. If you own the property, you should advise the condominium syndicate.

 

Advise your change of address to all concerned:

 

One thing you have to do is to inform the various administrative and social authorities of your new address. This obviously will include banks, insurances, your utilities suppliers for gas, electricity, water, etc.

Inform your neighbours:

 

It’s something people often forget, but we suggest you inform your neighbours of the date of your move and thus limit any inconvenience.

Advise the concierge:

 

He can be quite useful in helping you with your move.

Sort out your belongings:

 

We all tend to hang on to everything. A move is the ideal moment to sort through your personal belongings, and to give away things you either don’t want or no longer use.  Talk to your local charities about this; they will often come and collect.

You can also sell certain items by advertising on the Internet, or taking part in jumble sales.

We suggest you group together any items the moving company will need to pack. This speeds things up for the packers and helps to avoid unnecessary confusion.    

 

getting ready for your move

Inform your employer:

 

You can request one or more days of holiday, depending on how long you need. You or your representative must be present to ensure that everything runs according to plan.

Don’t forget to defrost your freezer:

 

If you are taking your fridge or freezer with you, you must first empty out all food and ice.

Motor vehicles:

 

Do you plan to transport your car or motorbike by sea ? In this case, International regulations require the fuel levels in the tanks to be as low as possible.

When the day of the move comes, you know you have got one or more very long days ahead of you. But instead, just think about the better times to come. Keep cool and trust us! Harsch will get everything done to ensure you are properly installed in your new home!

Request an estimate

 

 

Are you GDPR ready ?

Posted on by Robin Harsch

This has been all over the news for weeks: on May 25th 2018, the new European regulation about personal data will be implemented.

 

What means GDPR ?

 

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. It aims at protecting European Union citizens’ personal data in the era of the Internet. This large scope has one consequence: almost every companies must be compliant, even if they are not located within the Union. Now, the question you must ask yourself is: How am I concerned by the GDPR and am I compliant?

This is actually worth wondering: GDPR or not, we all collect, use and store confidential information and it is critical to protect them. And it does not always take sophisticated tools to manage to do it. In fact, the number one tool is awareness. Take a look at our two charts and think about it!

 

The charts :

 

Current Breach problems

 

GDPR current breach problems

 

Types of Breach

 

GDPR Types of Breach

 

This article is brought to you by our department Records management

 

Harsch join the Harmony Network

Posted on by Robin Harsch

Harmony Relocation Network

 

We have the pleasure to inform you that Harsch, The Art of Moving Forward decided to join the Harmony Network, previously called UTS and Unigroup.

Harmony is a large network of international moving companies. Over 140 members, covering more than 180 locations in 60 countries. In Switzerland, there will be only Harsch and Kehrli Oehler. Packimpex used to be a major actor for the network but had to leave after they got purchased by Gosslin Group.

 

Still independant !

 

Important to know that we keep our full independence. We are still free to choose our agents we want to work with. But we are now part of an important network with other independent companies, with a strong position in their market place. With this new network, we will be able to serve better our customers with a wider choice of agents worldwide.

Of course, we will still work with our existing partners, listed in our actual network. We’ll also keep updating the HH-network if needed.

Harsch is really happy and proud of this new collaboration. We look forward to receive the representative of Harmony for a visit in Geneva on April 5th and 6th. It will be the opportunity to meet the operational teams. We will also plan a visit to Zurich later in the course of the month.

You can find more information about Harmony on their website http://www.harmonyrelo.com/

and can visit our international moves department here.

Records Storage: Should You Do It Yourself ?

Posted on by Robin Harsch

Records Storage: Should You Do It Yourself ?

From Karen D. Schwartz

https://www.informationmanagementtoday.com/records-management/

November 8, 2017

If you think about it, the records you keep — on finances, customers, employees, equipment and inventory — are the fuel that keeps your company running. Without them, your organization would come to a standstill. And the more successful your company is, the more importance you should place on records storage.

If your record storage plan is a back room filled with boxes of documents, you’re putting your company at risk. Loss of valuable documents by theft or by fire could put your company out of commission for months — or out of business altogether.

It’s simply not good business to keep records onsite. Not only are they more vulnerable, but they take up valuable space you need to expand, store inventory and make customers comfortable. Those records need to be stored safely, out of sight.

2 options to store his archives

As a result, when it comes to records storage, you have two basic choices: storing them yourself at an offsite storage facility or hiring a company to manage offsite storage. The choice you make will be based on many factors, including the sensitivity of the information, your industry, your appetite for risk, accessibility and cost.

6 points to consider

  1. Space: With self-storage, you can have as much space as you pay for, but you might be limited by the available space at the facility. Companies set up for records storage don’t have space problems; it’s their business to have enough space.
  2. Transport: If you are going it alone, it’s up to you to pack up, transport and unload documents to a storage facility. You’ll also need a truck and vehicle insurance. With a service, your files will be picked up and transported by vetted and trained drivers to a secure facility.
  3. Security: While many self-storage facilities have some degree of security, such as cameras, it’s up to you to lock your unit. However, you don’t know who else is storing items at the facility, or what they are storing. They could be storing hazardous materials. Most self-storage facilities have clauses in their contracts stating that they are not liable for stolen or missing items. With a service, employees are screened and record storage facilities are built with security in mind. They typically have strong security systems with fences, guards, and both external and internal surveillance.
  4. Disaster protection: Most facilities offer some protection against fire and water damage but some won’t withstand extreme weather conditions. Good service facilities make sure they have the latest fire and flood prevention systems, and facilities are built with strong structural integrity.
  5. Easy file access: Inevitably, there will be times when you need to find a file that’s been put in storage. With the do-it-yourself method, you’ve got to drive to the storage unit and search through boxes to find the documents you need. Services have this covered. Just request a document and it’s delivered to your door quickly.
  6. Disposing of documents: When it’s time to destroy documents (once retention periods are reached) it can be time-consuming to search through boxes to identify documents and then take them to a place that can securely shred them. With a service, you can choose to have your documents shredded on a predetermined schedule.

What about the cost ?

And finally what about cost? While self-storage might seem like a less expensive option, that’s not always true. To ensure that you have enough space, you’ll probably pay for space that you’re not using. At a service facility, you pay only for the records you store. Not to mention the internal resources used up by sorting, searching and transporting records. And don’t forget about insurance. With a self-storage facility, you need a good insurance policy. But with a records storage service, insurance is included.

 

Visit our service records management

artgenève in Palexpo

Posted on by Robin Harsch

I’m rather ashamed of myself, but I have to confess that it was the first time I have been to the artgenève exhibition. And I live only 10 minutes by car from Palexpo. Better late than never, you might say, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

Harsch, the exhibition logistics partner

Henri Harsch HH SA has been the exhibition’s official logistics partner for five times in a row. From the wings I was able to follow the installation of this contemporary exhibition at breakneck speed in 2½ days. Over 80 galleries with institutional and private collections are on show. The least you can say is that everything happens very fast. On Monday morning one really wonders how this 20’000 m² space is going to be ready for the following Wednesday lunchtime.

Opening the door at the back of Hall 3 you find yourself backstage. Our company is responsible for the exhibition logistics as a whole, so our employees have set up their offices on the spot. Despite the biting cold, work goes ahead unabated. The various different exhibitors are constantly on the move back and forth between their stands and the Harsch “back-office”. They come to find or check on their works of art, to deal with the customs requirements or to drop off boxes or other empty packaging materials. The moving staff is also on its toes, ready to deliver and set up a painting or sculpture whenever needed.

 

 

The Estate show : Max Bill

A few metres away is a huge stand for the works of the artist Max Bill, who died 1994. I come across the trustee Samuel Gross in conversation with the artist’s son, Joseph Bill. They are discussing how this Estate Show is to be staged, with its enormous granite sculptures each weighing several tonnes.

spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. Déplacement d'une sculpture de Max Bill.
This sculpture weighs over two tonnes.
spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. Samuel Gross et Joseph Bill.
Samuel Gross, trustee for artgenève, talking to Jakob Bill, son of the Swiss artist Max Bill.

spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. Installation de l'Estate Show de Max Bill

 

During the interview with Jakob Bill, he told me how he regretted that his father never saw his finished work. Jakob Bill completed it himself. See here for an interview with Samuel Gross giving us his thoughts on the staging of this magnificent exhibition.

Back the main exhibition hall, everything is topsy-turvy. In no time at all everything is changing. People are up to their eyes in work: the gallery owners, artists, movers, electricians, painters …

Harsch spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. Monte charge.  

Harsch spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. Galerie Martin Disler

It’s nice to see the differences between the galleries – each stand tries to be different from its neighbour. I appreciate the audaciousness of some works, and the simplicity of several other paintings. There is something for everyone, which is what I suppose such an exhibition tries to achieve.

Harsch spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. Une caisse fragile posée devant des tableaux.

Harsch spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. les outils côtoient les tableaux.

artgenève: an exhibition organised on a human scale

artgenève is special, because even though it seems to be huge, you don‘t lose your way. The exhibition nonetheless remains human-sized.

It’s Wednesday, coming up to lunchtime. While most of the stands are ready for their first visitors, some are still adding the final touches. But in general, the exhibition craftsmen and technicians have finished their work.

spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. PAD bientôt prêt. Harsch spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. Un peintre sur un stand

Harsch spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. Stand du PAD

For its 7th edition, the artgenève exhibition has broadened its scope with an invitation to the PAD (Pavillon des Arts et du Design) to participate with stands generally filled with displays of the decorative arts, contemporary design and primitive arts.

What is interesting about artgenève is that it’s accessible for everyone, also for non-connoisseurs. And even if it’s not always easy to enter a stand, nothing prevents you from taking the escalator to Hall 2 at Palexpo. If you have unfortunately missed this 7th edition of artgenève, Harsch, The Art of Moving Forward, can offer you a quick look in video & music. Let me show you a couple of my favourites: le Parc des sculptures by Max Bill and Alpine Dream, both under the trusteeship of Samuel Gross. But in the end the best advice I can give you is to come next year!

Robin Harsch, Communication Officer, Henri Harsch HH SA

spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. Le parc des sculptures de Max Bill.
This year the Estate Show section has sculptures by Max Bill. Harsch is very proud to be a partner for this stand.
spécialiste transport d'œuvres d'art à artgenève. The Living Room
Samuel Gross, the trustee, has brought together various black-and-white photos from a huge series dedicated to mountain photography, selected from the Jean Revillard competition entries.

 

THE VIDEOS :

Interview with Thomas Hug, director artgenève

A few words from Jakob Bill, son of Max Bill

Interview with Samuel Gross, artgenève trustee

Clip on setting up the exhibition by Robin Harsch

 

 

Launch of our new online records management platform

Posted on by Robin Harsch

Online records management platform: MyRecords makes your archives more accessible than ever before.

 

The new online records management platform by Harsch..
pictogram of the new online records management platform.

Our Records Management Dept. has just introduced the new version of MyRecords, the online archives management platform. This new tool is more comprehensive and efficient; it is also more intuitive. It responds to the growing needs of potential customers while at the same time reassuring existing clients with a more modern system they will find easier to use.

From now on, all that’s required is to log on with your User ID and then to request services relating to your archives, such as:

  • Deliveries
  • Digitization
  • Disposal
  • Collection
  • Ordering packing materials

You will also find a new tool “Dashboard”, which provides a detailed overview of the archives we manage for you.

 

Gestion d'archives, aperçu de la fonction dashboard de la nouvelle plateforme Myrecords

These are just some of the services available; there are many more and all can be configured to YOUR particular needs.

Please contact us soonest for further details.

022 389 48 11

archives@harsch.ch

Don’t miss this one-minute video demonstration of what the new platform can do.

see the video

Harsch sells its relocation business to Welcome Service to focus on the development of its flagship activities

Posted on by Robin Harsch

Harsch, The Art of Moving Forward is proud to announce the signature of an agreement with Welcome Service on the transfer of its relocation business. As from 1st July 2017, Harsch will entrust its relocation work to Welcome Service. It should be noted that both entities remain entirely independent from one another.

Isabelle Harsch, CEO of the Harsch business, explains: “This partnership is a great opportunity for us! We are pulling out of an activity that no longer accounts for a significant part of our group’s revenues and instead focusing Harsch’s development on our logistics and storage activities (fine art transport, local and international moves and records management).

 

 

Harsch transporte a 2000 years old Roman sarcophagus

Posted on by Robin Harsch

Last week Harsch rose to a real challenge, and with true panache! We transported a 2000 years old Roman sarcophagus that weighed almost three tons. This magnificent tomb will be on show for the general public at the Université des Bastions for two months. It’s certainly something worth seeing. The 12 Labours of Hercules adorn the four sides of the sarcophagus. It was up to Harsch and its men to accomplish the 13th labour – to safely and gently bring this priceless piece of classical art to the university. The RTS and the Tribune de Genève were there to cover the event (see links below).

http://www.tdg.ch/news/standard/transport-dangers-sarcophage-romain/story/27381485

https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/19h30/video/archeologie-lincroyable-saga-dun-sarcophage-exceptionnel?id=8707416

In a few days time, Harsch will also bring you unique video footage covering this monumental task.

 

Harsch celebrates its 60 years with families

Posted on by Robin Harsch

On may 21, Harsch celebrated its 60th anniversary with its employees and their families. This magnificent day was held at Les Bois Chamblard, somptuous land on the shores of Lake Geneva

Yoga, treasure hunt, human table football, painting, slackline, barbecue and other activities have made this day a very pleasant and convivial moment. 

The day went by so quickly ! Another reason to celebrate the company’s 65th anniversary… in 2022 !

A big thank you to the organizers and all the participants.