Background & Scope
Hidai Nankoku, a second-generation calligrapher and an audacious practitioner in post-war Japan, created the ink-on-paper piece Work during a performance at Tokyo’s Yushima Seido temple in August 1964. Executed on a monumental scale, the physically demanding artwork measures 4.63 metres high by 3.5 metres wide.
To display and protect this delicate, large-format paper painting, M+ Museum required an exceptionally large, custom-designed showcase incorporating non-reflective glass. The enclosure had to maintain environmental protection while preserving unobstructed visual access to Nankoku’s delicate, large-scale brushwork.
Engineering, Fabrication & International Logistics
EMT worked closely with the M+ Design team to engineer a showcase solution tailored to the artwork’s 4.63-metre height and 3.5-metre width. Following the engineering phase, EMT coordinated the complete fabrication of the showcase at its Melbourne facilities before transporting the structure to Hong Kong for on-site assembly within the museum.
Precision Assembly & Glass Installation
The custom display structure houses two non-reflective glass panel doors, each weighing in excess of 300 kilograms. To manoeuvre and mount these massive glass elements safely within the gallery space, the team deployed specialised Quattrolifts architectural glass installation equipment.
The mechanical rigging system enabled exact alignment and secure installation of the heavy panels without imparting structural stress. Following the successful completion of the project, M+ Museum acquired the Quattrolifts architectural glass installation equipment to support its future internal display and glass installation requirements.
