Uploaded September 2022 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
What does it take to install the largest painting in the Crystal Bridges collection? In this video, get a behind-the-scenes look at the unpacking and installation of Julie Mehretu’s "Retopistics: A Renegade Excavation" (2001). collection.crystalbridges.org/objects/4178/retopistics-a-renegade-excavation?ctx=87542309074dfb45e1cd7d9b15eb4e656c9bb68a&idx=1
Created after studying the dynamic spaces of airports, “Retopistics: A Renegade Excavation” recalls a busy public space, bustling with life. For the artist, the interactions in the painting represent characters, each with its own identity and agency.
In 2019, the work was deinstalled from our South Lobby for “Julie Mehretu,” a four-venue exhibition organized by LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Because of the size, the painting was rolled for travel between venues.
Earlier this year, the artwork was reinstalled in our Contemporary Art Gallery by our talented preparator and conservator teams, seen in the video. Stop by during your next visit to see it for free and take it all in.
Julie Mehretu, “Retopistics: A Renegade Excavation,” 2001, ink and acrylic on canvas, 101 ½ in x 17 ft. 4 ½ in. x 2 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2013.28
What does it take to install the largest painting in the Crystal Bridges collection? In this video, get a behind-the-scenes look at the unpacking and installation of Julie Mehretu’s "Retopistics: A Renegade Excavation" (2001). collection.crystalbridges.org/objects/4178/retopistics-a-renegade-excavation?ctx=87542309074dfb45e1cd7d9b15eb4e656c9bb68a&idx=1
Created after studying the dynamic spaces of airports, “Retopistics: A Renegade Excavation” recalls a busy public space, bustling with life. For the artist, the interactions in the painting represent characters, each with its own identity and agency.
In 2019, the work was deinstalled from our South Lobby for “Julie Mehretu,” a four-venue exhibition organized by LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Because of the size, the painting was rolled for travel between venues.
Earlier this year, the artwork was reinstalled in our Contemporary Art Gallery by our talented preparator and conservator teams, seen in the video. Stop by during your next visit to see it for free and take it all in.
Julie Mehretu, “Retopistics: A Renegade Excavation,” 2001, ink and acrylic on canvas, 101 ½ in x 17 ft. 4 ½ in. x 2 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2013.28
