The following videos show the deinstallation of Sean Scully’s (b. 1945) The Fifty (2021), which was on display in 2025 at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin, Ireland.
While there is no specific order for hanging Scully’s artworks, the series comes with a colophon outlining that the framed drawings must be displayed in a 5 x 10 grid. The hard work of the art handling and collections team during installation and the preparation of the art handling and conservation team for deinstallation ensured that deinstallation day ran smoothly and efficiently.
Three bespoke crates were made in-house by our technicians in liaison with conservation staff. The crates were lined to protect the artworks from any off-gassing of the wood, and sheets of foam board were inserted between them to protect the frames from damaging one another. These boxes are designed to ensure that the works fit snugly enough to minimise movement during transport yet with sufficient room for the works to be safely accessed. An installation schema was attached inside the box lids for future reference, and each foam board labelled with a registration number to ensure each work is accounted for as well as streamlining storage and retrieval. Before being packed away, a conservator images the works, front and back, and records their condition.
