Official behind-the-scenes blog of the Dallas Museum of Art
Recently, the European galleries on the second floor were reinstalled to present anew some of the greatest works in the Museum’s collection. A cluster of beautiful sculptures commands a corner in the midst of the modern area. Works by Constantin Brancusi, Barbara Hepworth, and Emile-Antoine Bourdelle appear in the foreground, while works by Auguste Rodin and Aristide Maillol can be seen just beyond the window.
Nicole Stutzman
Director of Teaching Programs and Partnerships
The DMA exhibitions department spends much of its time planning, organizing, and fine-tuning any given exhibition. And ironically, the installation process marks the beginning of the end of our efforts. On the Museum’s second floor, our department is now working to complete the massive reinstallation of the European galleries, which host some of the most well known and celebrated works of art in the DMA’s collections. Alongside curators Olivier Meslay and Heather MacDonald, the exhibition designer, preparators, registrars, and carpenters have come together to re-introduce this selection of masterpieces to DMA visitors.
During “install,” the exhibitions department ensures that the careful removal of objects, new construction (such as platforms, walls, and pedestals), and re-installation of the artwork all run according to plan. Close attention to the condition of the galleries and the creation of hospitable environments for the works — and visitors — come into play.
For example, the sculptural grouping found off the Level 2 courtyard requires proper window tinting before the works can reach their “final destination.” Anyone will agree that this precaution was worth the wait when caught between Brancusi or Hepworth’s monochromatic contours and Matisse or Kandisnsky’s vibrant polychrome canvases. When filtered properly, the same light that can damage art now works in tandem with it, persuading us to step back and experience the “dance” between these gleaming three-dimensional whites and the vivid impressionist brushwork.
