Overview
Beautiful Mystical Exploding Sun Clouds Taste Metallic, installed in 2022 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, is a confluence of artistic energies, transatlantic collaboration, and logistical ingenuity. Conceived in 2012 in Damien Hirst’s UK studio, this monumental 18’ x 18’ spin art piece is the brainchild of Hirst and Wayne Coyne, the lead vocalist of The Flaming Lips. After spending four years on display at Coyne’s private studio, The Womb, the painting was disassembled and stored for five years before eventually finding its permanent home in the heart of Oklahoma City. The assembly and installation of this massive artwork, facilitated by Kasum MANIFOLD, presented a unique set of challenges, demanding careful planning and execution.

The primary objective of the project was the safe and meticulous handling of this highly sensitive canvas original. The sheer scale of the piece, weighing in at 800 pounds, coupled with the constraints of the Convention Center’s operational schedule, added another layer of complexity. The team was tasked with not only assembling and re-stretching the canvas but also installing it without the work ever touching the ground. The initial 40-day allotment for the project was compressed to just 26 days due to facility needs, further intensifying the pressure.

Once in the designated workspace, the painting was allowed to acclimatize before the meticulous process of assembly, stretching, and preparing the workspace commenced. The painting was inspected, weighed, and then carefully positioned verso to allow for the assembly of the custom eighty-piece aircraft aluminum stretcher.  The re-stretching process itself was a delicate and time-consuming undertaking, spanning over twenty days. The canvas, having been previously displayed face down, required extremely careful re-tensioning, particularly in the center, which had experienced greater stretching due to gravity. Concurrently, the team fabricated installation cleats and rigging to meet stringent engineering specifications.

The culmination of this intricate process was the installation itself.  A modular suspension system was designed to allow the team to carefully transport the painting across the Convention Center to the installation wall.  The painting was then inverted and hoisted onto dual security-pinned installation cleats using a manual cable rigging lift that took over six hours.  This delicate maneuver was executed with minimal heavy equipment to protect the facility and maintain maximum control.