Media Release: MTG Hawke’s Bay

MEDIA RELEASE – 14 June 2013

CT scan all in a day’s work

A cat scan for a significant sculpture is just part of the job for the MTG Hawke’s Bay team as they prepare for moving the collection into the new museum in readiness for opening day in late September.

The MTG Hawke’s Bay access team have been given the task of moving the collection and are using some of the latest technology from around the world to ensure objects, whether in storage or on display, withstand the test of time and potential tremors of an earthquake.

The process involved to display the sculpture, known fondly as the ‘Bather’ (Grande Baignante III, by Emilio Greco) in the Octagon Gallery shows just how dedicated the MTG Hawke’s Bay team are. Their goal is to ensure that each item in the collection has a specific plan around how to best mount or display it to ensure its overall safety and care.

Sasha Smith, MTG Hawke’s Bay’s Registrar approached Hawke’s Bay Radiology to see if they would help them understand the sculpture and it’s proportions better by scanning the tall, heavy sculpture.

“Luckily they said yes,” said Sasha.

“It turns out she has thick ankles meaning we can use shorter supports to attach her to a mount”.

The sculpture mount, currently being sourced from Japan will be customised in Hawke’s Bay and fitted to a base isolator allowing her to move safely from side to side in any future earthquake.

Access Team Leader Sara Browne and Design Team Leader James Price say their teams have been working together to prepare for moving the collection into the new museum.

Sara manages the access and care of the Hawke's Bay Museums Trust collection and is aided by ‘Vernon’, the museum’s collection management software system, which tracks each of the 100,000 items in the collection and their location while in storage.

James and his team are responsible for the design and installation of the 14 new exhibitions and display spaces at MTG Hawke’s Bay. James and Sara have been working closely while the museum has been closed to ensure that when it reopens all the objects are installed with the utmost care, and can be safely displayed for visitors to enjoy.

Sara and James both note that although the research and planning around the best way to display and mount the Bather is at the extreme end of the spectrum, each item in the collection has been individually considered in terms of the move, storage and display.

Events such as the Christchurch earthquake have taught them a lot.

“There has been a very strong focus on earthquake proofing collections and in many cases we will be the first in the country to be using new systems”, says James.

A good example of this is the use of specialised Takiya stainless steel painting hooks made by a Japanese company, which will be used to hang paintings in the MTG galleries. Currently only Christchurch Art Gallery is using this type of system in New Zealand.

Objects on display will also be protected from earthquakes by the mounts used to support them. Off display, packaging provides protection to objects and straps will be used to secure boxes on shelves.

In terms of storing the collection, special compactor shelving on rollers will provide the collection extra protection. Where there is open shelving, custom-made shelving has been designed to include strapping which ensures that objects don’t fall or move off the shelves.

From the beginning of July, staff will begin the mammoth task of moving items into the new building. This includes collection objects that will be on display in the new exhibitions.

Sara says it took a team of 18 people three months to move everything out of the museum and this time the task will be just as complex.

“Collection items will be moved directly into their resting place, so it’s a very logistical process,” says Sara.

“We’ve had the benefit of time to research and draw on expertise from all around New Zealand and the world to ensure that the collection returns to its new home with the future in mind”.

ENDS

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