The occasion was an exhibition of the newly restored Passion Cycle, a 12-picture collection created by German painter Hans Hesse in 1522. The Passion Cycle is one of the most significant religious works from the Middle Ages, and has been painstakingly reconditioned by academic painter Ji?í Brodský and his colleague Ji?í Bare, a long time art collaborator of Roudnice Gallery, over the last four years.
The paintings were loaned to the Roudnice Gallery by the Church of Birth of the Virgin Mary, also in Roudnice nad Labem (where they normally reside) as part of the Gallery's Roudnice Year.
Next came the task of finding an appropriate and complimentary method of installing the display for the duration of the exposition.
Milos MD Frantiek Zykán has always been a keen supporter of the Gallery. After a meeting with gallery director Alena Pot??ková, he offered the creative design skills, services and resources of Milos to help find a solution for sitting the complete Passion Cycle in one of the vaulted spaces of the Roudnice Gallery, which is located in the former horse riding school of an impressive Baroque Château.
Milos' design department drew up the proposed special structure using Milos M290 STB QuickTruss, a mid-size triangular truss product. This provided an elegant contemporary aluminium surround for the paintings, juxtaposing them beautifully, whilst adding a freshness and vitality that accentuated the detail of the restoration work.
The total dimensions of the structure measured 5.2m high and 10.5 wide, and it was divided into three sections - left-centre-right - with the two outer ones hinged and gently angled in to the centre piece. Each section accommodated four of the paintings. The structure was anchored in place by base plates on the floor with the top sections butted up to the ceiling of the room - giving the appearance of being completely free standing, and therefore impacting very little on the space.
Frantiek Zykán says: "This was a fantastic opportunity to create something special and different as well as contributing to the culture and history of the area by creating a setting allowing the art to be appreciated by many people. It was a great collaboration with the gallery, and we are very proud that Alena Pot??ková trusted our judgement and had the vision to see how MILOS could bring a distinctive additional aesthetic to some amazing art."
(Jim Evans)
