Ever wondered what happens to your favorite exhibition after it closes at the IMA?
Sometimes artwork and objects are dispersed back to the lenders who own them. Other times, exhibitions travel on to another institution for display. This was the case with European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century. Remember it? A portion of this IMA-organized exhibition is now on display at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.
High Museum of Art
Often, when the IMA sends an exhibition to another institution, our registrars, curators and/or conservators accompany the artwork to the borrowing institution so that we may oversee the installation. Associate Registrar Brittany Minton, Conservator Richard McCoy and I were lucky enough to travel to Atlanta to work with the High Museum to make a second showing of European Design a reality.
Traveling an exhibition is always a fun and challenging experience. You are in an unfamiliar gallery space working with staff you’ve just met. You have a set amount of time to get a show completely installed before you head for home. In this case, it meant moving crates, unpacking over 250 objects, inspecting them individually to ensure they traveled safely, and installing them in their exhibition locations…..all within two weeks.
Here’s a quick overview of exhibition installation:
1. Unpacking
Euro Design travel crate
Brittany and High Chief Preparator Cayse discuss unpacking Tord Boontje’s Night Blossom from its crate
Each crate is carefully unpacked. Traveling artwork requires specialized packing which helps each object withstand the stress of travel. Each container is designed specifically for the object that it holds. Many thanks go out to IMA’s amazing packing and crating team: Rob Waddle, John Ross, Jesse Speight, and Jim Bayse. I may be partial, but I think they create some of the most thoughtful art packing.
For example, here’s how Philipe Starck’s Bedside Gun was packed:
Filed under: Exhibitions, Travel
