Inside the preparations for NGV Triennial 2020 exhibition at NGV International

Even without a pandemic, installing a major exhibition is no mean feat. And NGV teams are going the extra mile to put together the Triennial blockbuster.

As Venus, a sculpture by US artist Jeff Koons, is prepared for showing at the NGV Triennial, her unboxing, and storage requirements, read like a list of diva demands.

The work, which stands at 2.5 metres and is made of mirror-finish stainless steel, is set to be one of the highlights of Triennial, a free exhibition opening at the NGV International on December 19.

But a goddess must be handled with care, and Koons’ Venus is no exception, says Don Heron, NGV assistant director of exhibitions management and design.

Venus was uncrated with the NGV team in “live conversation with a manufacturing team in Germany, with a live audio and video feed into the galleries, to ensure the sculpture was uncrated safely and displayed perfectly in position”.

“It was really impressive to see both teams halfway across the world, working together with the help of technology to display this work so beautifully,” Mr Heron said.

Jeff Koons’ Venus was uncrated at the NGV with help from a manufacturing team in Germany, who tuned in via livestream to guide the process.

The sculpture was shipped to Melbourne in a custom-built crate.

When it’s not on display, the sculpture will be stored inside the crate, fully sealed.

“It’s an elaborate storage solution which perfectly preserves the pristine surface of the sculpture,” Mr Heron said.

Elsewhere, an epic light sculpture by Welsh artist Cerith Wyn Evans has also been incredibly complex, and time consuming, to install.

“We had detailed maps that covered the floor of the gallery underneath the suspended sculpture, so the installers could ensure the exact placement of hundreds of neon light tubes suspended by very fine cable threads from the ceiling,” Mr Heron said.

“They are interwoven and linked, so it took well over a week to individually hang these neon lights from the ceiling, to get the precise composition of the work right according to the artist’s specifications.”

He added: “The neon lights were made in Austria and shipped out here, and we had a Melbourne-based company specialising in neon lights to work with the manufacturer in Vienna on the installation.”

Tomo Koizumi’s Look 27 arrives at the National Gallery of Victoria for Triennial. Picture: Tim Carrafa

In the NGV foyer, a work by Turkish media artist and director Refik Anadol will screen on a 100sq m video wall.

The work uses artificial intelligence and quantum computing to represent abstract images of nature.

NGV Triennial features 86 projects by more than 100 artists, designers and collectives from more than 30 countries.

The exhibition also includes South African designer Porky Hefer’s 14m-wide octopus, Buttpuss, which is made with giant hand-felted cigarette butts.

Porky Hefer’s 14m-wide Buttpuss octopus in installed at NGV International ahead of the Triennial exhibition.

Another Hefer piece, Q Tip, depicts a hammerhead shark using cotton buds. Hefer’s work also uses plastic bags and coffee cups to comment on ocean pollution.

Natural History 2020, a work by David Allen Burns and Austin Young, sets photographs of local flora and selected NGV artworks against a backdrop of “asynchronous repeat patterns printed onto fabric wall coverings”. The eye-popping installation is expected to be an Instagram sensation.

“Our team has put in an incredible effort to bring works from more than 30 countries to Melbourne during a challenging year,” Mr Heron said.

NGV Triennial 2020 opens at NGV International on December 19, 2020. Entry is free and bookings are open.