In 2018, Ann Hamilton spent a week with the Oriental Institute working on Project AEON, imaging hundreds of artifacts from Egypt and Iraq. We recently installed colossal versions of some of her work at the University of Chicago, and it was a challenging process for a truly unique assignment. However, we happen to look forward to challenges. They keep us on our toes.
Installing AEON was part of celebrating the Oriental Institute’s 100th year with the university. The OI is one of the world’s leading interdisciplinary centers for the study of ancient Middle Eastern civilizations, and we turned the dome of the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library’s Grand Reading Room into a celebration of their purpose. One thing was certain, the finished product needed to maintain the alluring strangeness of the photos that Hamilton captured for AEON. Michal Mieczkowski, one of our installation managers, was up to the task.“I could see that Michal was drawn to the strangeness and the difficulty of the project.” – Laura Steward, Curator of Public Art
Covering a glass dome might seem relatively simple off the bat, but this particular dome is made up of panels of varying sizes. And the display will only be shown until early next year, so it needed to be easily removed.
How did we do it?
We used Crystal Cling by Ritrama, because it’s optically clear, pulls off easily and doesn’t leave any residue. Then we added a 25% white gradation behind the images, which gives the relics a surreal look while still allowing the natural light to come through the dome. For the near future, University of Chicago students will work under the watchful eyes of Mesopotamian and Egyptian artifacts.
Do you have a project that’s more than a little outside of the box? We want to make it happen. Contact us to get the wheels in motion.
