Moving an ancient stone artifact that towers over 10 feet tall and weighs about 9,000 pounds is no light lift. But the Kimbell Art Museum was up for the monumental task, Jennifer Casler Price said.
Roughly 100 pieces of ancient art, created between 250-900 A.D., are currently on display in the museum’s Renzo Piano Pavilion as part of an exhibition titled “Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art” on view through Sept. 3.
The works on display represent the height of creativity, ingenuity and technical prowess of Maya art’s classic period and make it a must-see exhibition, said Casler Price, the museum’s curator of Asian, African and Ancient American art.
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“On the one hand you have pieces that are textbook Maya … they’re well known, they’re iconic pieces, but some of them have never traveled or only traveled maybe once,” she said.
On the other hand, Casler Price estimated that roughly half of the pieces are recent discoveries. This makes the exhibition, which was organized by the Kimbell and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, especially unique, she said.
“Half of the works in the show have never been seen in the U.S., and quite a number of those probably never will travel back to the U.S. for various reasons,” she said. “You would have to go to Mexico City, you’d have to go to Guatemala … you’d have to go to (many other) museums … to see this collection of masterpieces all together under one roof, telling this really amazing story.”
‘The facility is considered an artwork as well’
Preparing for an installation begins long before the crates of art arrive.
For this exhibition, the Kimbell brought in Displays Fine Art Services to help with the process.
The Arlington-based company contracts with museums, galleries and art enthusiasts across the country to help them move and install art.
The two teams met and discussed the dimensions of the objects, measurements of the gallery and a proposed layout of the space.
As a curator, Casler Price has a good idea of where she wants everything before the items come in, but there are still some on-the-spot decisions that have to be made. For example, the exact arrangements of items in a case might shift or pieces might be moved to make sure the placement of one artwork doesn’t obstruct the view of another.
In some cases, she has never seen the objects in person before. But, because this show was produced in a partnership with the Met, Casler Price’s team had the opportunity to see all of the objects installed in one place and share notes.
Michael Brandstetter, director of operations at Displays Fine Art Services, estimated that he put between 20 to 30 hours into planning before the installation day. When he prepares for a job like this, his team has to be careful with both the art and the buildings it will be displayed in. During this installation, multiple layers of plywood helped distribute weight from the larger objects while also protecting the finish on the gallery floors.
“In many cases, the facility is considered an artwork as well,” he said. “I mean, the Kimbell’s a perfect example with the Piano Pavilion and the Louis Kahn facility. Those are artworks in their own right, and you have to respect them.”
‘That’s where the couriers come in’
As the items are carefully pulled out of crates, conservators do a condition check of each piece to make sure that nothing was broken or damaged in transit. The entire process is well documented and insured. Registrars help keep track of the corresponding paperwork and implementation of the various contracts.
Museums or institutions that lend out their art might also send a courier to help oversee the unpacking and installation process and make sure both go smoothly. Over the pandemic, that work was often done via live video; some places have reverted back to sending couriers whereas others continue to use the video option.
Couriers have valuable insight about the best way to move fragile or cumbersome pieces.
“That’s where the couriers come in, because they know where it’s OK to place the straps because there’s certain places where if you put a strap around the stone, it would break,” Casler Price said. “You have to put blankets around it first and then the straps and then maybe foam. And so everything is completely padded out as much as possible.”
8 hours, over a dozen people and one roughly 9,000 lb stone
In one way or another, more than a dozen people helped with the installation of the stone monument, also known as a stela. The process took a full eight-hour day and included everyone from the specialized movers to the two couriers who traveled from the lending institution in Mexico.
The large stela depicts Yuknoom Took’ K’awiil, who is considered one of the kingdom’s last great rulers, holding a spear in one hand while standing on a captive. The imagery alludes to his power and the supremacy of his military whereas his name is meant to show his close connection to the lightning god K’awiil.
To lift the piece, the team used two gantries. Each gantry has a metal beam that is supported by two A-framed legs on either side. Chains hang from the horizontal beam to help crews hoist heavy objects off the ground.
The movements are highly choreographed to make sure that the weight distribution doesn’t put unnecessary stress on the stone or overload the capacity of the rigging system.
“You can’t haven’t one corner get higher or lower than the other,” Brandstetter explained. “You’ve got to keep everyone working together to raise it … You can’t just lift it from one end to tip it up. You actually have to pick the whole thing up off the ground … then you raise one side and lower the other to get it vertical.”
All of the prep work and gaming out of different scenarios pays off on installation day.
“I actually think the easiest part is when the rubber hits the road and you’re actually doing it,” he said. “I think that is when it actually becomes easier because all the questions are right there and all the answers to the questions are ready for you.”
Behind the scenes
As an example of a mount maker’s skill, Casler Price pointed out a large throne panel in the show and the clips that help secure it in place.
“That stone is kind of a mottled old sandstone. It has sort of an orange, creamy tinge to it. It’s not just one flat color,” she said. “And so we actually had one of our conservators paint out the mounts so that standing away from it, it just looks like it’s part of the stone.”
The throne was deliberately destroyed but was later excavated and reassembled in the 1930s. Conservators did their best to preserve the throne with the tools they had available at the time, and this exhibition gave conservators the opportunity to help with its preservation once again.
“Part of the agreement with Guatemala was that they sent both those pieces to the Met to be restored again and brought back to life,” Casler Price said. “The Met used cutting-edge laser technology to clean the surface of those pieces.”
The importance and value of the loans from Mexico and Guatemala can’t be overstated, Casler Price said. “Any time that you’re moving artwork there is always a risk involved. I mean, there’s no question.”
This is why, she said, they go to great lengths to make sure each piece is handled with care and that they return home safely.
This collection helps tell the Maya perspective of the world’s creation, the gods and goddesses who shaped it and the earthly kings and queens who wanted to be seen in their image.
Casler Price said people who might not already be interested in ancient Maya art can still appreciate the exhibition. From the stunning visuals, to fascinating mythology and impressive technological advancements, the show intersects with many interests. Hopefully, Casler Price said, viewers will walk away connecting the history in the art to modern Maya people who still live in Mexico, Guatemala and other countries around the globe today.
“I feel like there’s something for everybody in this exhibition.”
Marcheta Fornoff covers the arts for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.