How do you hang an exhibition?

One of the best things about having my designs displayed in an exhibition is getting an insider's view as to how you go about hanging an exhibition, something I'd never seen before.  I was lucky enough that my exhibition construction was managed by David Freeburn, of Culture Perth and Kinross.  David previously worked as a theatre set designer and has extensive experience and knowledge.  He had already prepared the case by covering the back and sides with black fabric.  The next task was to remove the panels from the previous exhibition.

David had developed an ingenious way of hanging the rolls of wallpapers.  He had built a strut with a bar at the top which could swivel, which allowed the silk wallpapers to have some movement.  The wallpapers are very luxurious and these struts showed them off at their best, allowing them to drape and flow.

The wallpapers were stapled on, then moved into position in the case.  It was brilliant watching them be unrolled one by one.

David made sure each of the rolls were sitting correctly.  After this, the information panels were hung on the wall.  I had upholstered a chair and a stool for the exhibition.  These were laid out and then the lighting adjusted for all the exhibits.

All that was left to be done after this was for the box of birds to be carefully lifted into the case. These are a good example of Victorian taxidermy, and as they have been stored in a glass case, they are in excellent condition.  Although they are not the birds I depicted in my designs, they represent the kind of birds available to see in the collections.  And finally, you can see Poppy Jarratt, the Programme Officer for the Perth UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art Programme, who commissioned the exhibition.   We're taking the opportunity to admire David's fantastic planning and execution of the exhibition layout just before the case gets locked and secured.  It was so rewarding to work as part of a team on this exhibition, to share our ideas and different areas of expertise, and then to see it happen!