Shipping work Internationally
When I first was working with a gallery in Rome, Italy and also shipping work to an international exhibition in Italy, it really was cost prohibitive if I wanted to ship a work packaged in anything other than a small flat package or in a mailing tube. Fortunately, when I was working with the gallery in Rome, the owner lived in NYC so I ended up shipping to that location and she then checked the crate on her flight (I had to be very careful to stay within size/weight restrictions. Each airline has their own guidelines, so every artist must do a little research into what the requirements and restrictions are). There are also considerations of customs on the receiving end. If you list the retail price, expect some enormous VAT taxes upon your work going through customs, and the person receiving your work will have to pay it (unless you have agreed to cover these costs). Thus, it often means you need to put a very low value on your work just to get it through customs without setting off a red flag.
If your art can be shipped in a flat cardboard mailer that is not too large then that will be much more affordable. My work was framed without glass but large! I suggest you look into www.ArtGlobalTransport.com for free shipping quotes to anywhere around the world. If you keep your packaging smallish and flat, you may find this to be an affordable solution. You can insure your work, but as when you see the cost of insuring it, you may decide to put a very low value on your work in the end. Consider that a shipping company such as Art Global Transport will do their utmost to handle your work with care. It is up to you to follow, very carefully, their packaging requirements and make sure you do your part to prevent any potential damage along the artwork’s journey.