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... of The San Diego Museum of Art
 

Behind The Scenes

Earthquake protection - perfect pot

When visiting the galleries of the Museum a viewer’s focus is on the object and the aesthetic dimension of the experience. Contributing to this are features that enhance the experience but are meant to be subordinate to the object itself such as lighting, wall colors, surface treatment, brackets, display cases, etc. In addition, making the object safe, especially in earthquake-prone California, presents additional challenges for the Museum’s design and installation. We’ll be taking a look at these aspects in “Behind the Scenes.” For now we would like to show you the Chinese vase and the clever way in which the bracket was designed and executed to protect the object from damage.

Recent facility improvements to the Art of East Asia galleries designed to enhance our appreciation of the works on display include:

  • Inclusion of display cases level with benches for more leisurely examination of small scale objects
  • Display cases that are accessible by guests in wheelchairs
  • Installation of recycled teak flooring to produce a warmer ambiance
  • New ceiling
  • LED lighting to create a sharper focus on objects while producing greater contrasts with the areas around the art
Earthquake protection - fishing pole for bell