Insurance and the arts
Insurance and the arts
When you think of insurance you probably picture road accidents and workplace mishaps -- not curators, crates, and climate control. However, in our century of work insuring WA, a surprising number of artworks and cultural treasures have been protected by our work.
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With the establishment of our RiskCover scheme in 1997, comprehensive protection against loss gave our state's exhibition and gallery curators the confidence to bring ambitious world class exhibitions to Perth, acting as a safety net beneath our states daring art and culture industries.
New York's Modern Masters
In 2011, New York’s world‑renowned Museum of Modern Art partnered with the Art Gallery of Western Australia to present a series of exclusive exhibitions. For three years, Perth hosted, and we insured, some of the most irreplaceable works on the planet.
Valued at $1.8 billion, the safety and accessibility of the collection kept everyone on their toes. Our RiskCover fund gave a sense of security to the staff of the Art Gallery of Western Australia who were no doubt excited (and nervous) about hosting these pieces of art.
This exhibition included the careful transport of artwork by household names such as Picasso, Warhol, and Van Gogh. A slip-up with any of these would have caused a very busy day at our offices and we're happy to report no priceless items were damaged or lost at all!
The Terracotta Warriors
Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of The First Emperor was an exhibit unlike any other. In a world first, 225 different ancient Chinese artefacts arrived in Perth, on June 28th 2025, 40% of which had never left China before.
This included ten life-sized clay warriors. While this is the maximum number permitted to leave China, its only 0.12% of the total warriors – lets face it, WA's exhibition isn’t protecting any great emperors!
With each standing at 1.8 meters tall and weighing 180kg it was no easy feat. Moving them required meticulous planning, specialist logistics, and nerves of steel. From an insurance perspective, it was one of WA's most nerve‑wracking, rewarding (and heavy!) cultural events.
WA Museum Boola Bardip
While some exhibits covered by our RiskCover travel across the world to stay for a year, some exhibits stay forever. The WA Museum Boola Bardip hosts a large variety of irreplaceable items to tell the stories of our region, and the wider world through permanent collections.
At the opening of Boola Bardip in 2020, the museum was insured with us for $360 million. This covers everything from the smallest delicate artifact to the largest curios. Such as Otto the blue whale; how were we able to value that one-of-a-kind creature? Our experts had a whale of a time!
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photo credit Boola Bardip WA museums, Michael Haluwana.
The Universal Explorer - supporting local artists
Commissioned by us in 1997, to grace our foyer within the Forrest Centre, the sculpture “Universal Explorer” by Hans Arkeveld is a rare case of an artwork insured by us that lived within our office.
"Universal Explorer" was inspired by Alexander Forrest, a renowned statesperson and explorer in early West Australian colonial history. The sculpture is a contemporary impression of Alexander cast in bronze and much like its inspiration, this statue has had a long journey. The Forrest Centre, where we were based at the time, was the site of the original home of the Forrest family.
An artist-in-residence for the School of Anatomy and Human Biology at UWA, Hans Arkveld is a Perth-based painter, sculptor, and print maker. A renowned artist and multi-award winner, we were extremely fortunate to have commissioned Hans' work.
When discussed during the artwork's commission, his style was described as “interpretive representation”. This meant there was no telling exactly what form Alexander Forrest would take… only that the result would be memorable (and very well insured).
Finished in 1999, Hans remarked on his work. “I have used this critical time [of exploration] in Alexander Forrest’s life, as a metaphor to symbolise our own journey through life”
As we left the Forrest Centre behind in 2024, the Universal Explorer was returned to his creator’s home at UWA, where he remains to this day.
200kg statue leaving the office 
On the way to UWA