AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

People of all ages dream of superpowers that allow them to play doctor with X-ray vision, detective with ultraviolet lights, or artist with powdered pigments. The exhibition Concealed Layers: Uncovering Expressionist Paintings invited audiences to share in these roles through the process of technical imaging and analysis. This project highlighted new discoveries made during a three-year study of the Saint Louis Art Museum’s world-class collection of German Expressionist paintings. The two-gallery show explored eleven paintings through methods ranging from physical examination to diagnostic imaging with radiography, infrared, and ultraviolet light–all designed to help identify the artist’s materials and techniques. Developed by a conservation-curatorial team, this research was then embraced by departments across the museum (e.g. learning and engagement, design, digital interpretation, marketing, development, and information technology) to create an experimental, education-focused exhibition with “behind-the-scenes” sneak peeks. Originally set to run from March until August 2024, the exhibition dates were extended through that October to capitalize on the fruitful STEAM opportunities.  

This presentation will take a candid approach to sharing how Concealed Layers matured from concept to installation–challenges, triumphs, and missteps included. Full immersion into the science-laden world of technical analysis, a new venture for the museum, demanded expansion of its interpretative strategies. What are the most effective ways to display an internal layer of a painting, hidden to the naked eye? Internal debates tackled everything from cost efficiency to display safety (e.g. is an X-ray emitting device perceived as safe?). Shared goals danced between engaging multigenerational visitors with artists’ techniques and materials without overwhelming them with dense science lessons. Colleagues in digital assets developed interactive content for media consoles plus evergreen web content, and educators flexed STEAM outreach programming (K-12 plus universities). The exhibition occupied two galleries that are typically installed with the permanent, non-rotating collection and intersected with multiple doorways. Therefore, the museum used trackers to measure “hot zones” to map preferred pathways as visitors navigated the space. Additionally, summer interns in education conducted comprehensive visitor interaction surveys of the exhibition. Their collective data on visitor engagement has offered invaluable encouragement of successes and, critically, areas for improvement. 

Conservation-based content is not always easy for museum professionals to display. Concerns surrounding appropriate content (i.e. image rights, oversharing of condition concerns, etcetera) is often uncomfortable for stakeholders, and museum educators still face apprehension of didactic interpretation that is, by nature, science dense. Sharing a transparent view of an exhibition’s variable triumphs and challenges in educational programming and public reception may promote traction for similar projects.