The Bear Arrives

Installing Veilhan sculpture

Xavier Veilhan’s The Bear, 2010, emerges from its crate with help of art handlers and preparators, moves towards the sculpture pad, and is finally secured and unwrapped. Vesela Sretenovic, curator of modern and contemporary art, and her son marvel at the sight. Photos: Amy Wike and Sarah Osborne Bender

The first work of Xavier Veilhan’s first major museum show in the United States has really arrived. On a beautiful fall day, a small army of art handlers, observed by a small army of museum employees and neighbors, unpacked a giant, faceted, glossy, Ferrari red, resin bear from it’s crate, escorted it down the sidewalk, and placed it on our premier sculpture pad at the corner of 21st and Q Streets. More intriguing works from Veilhan are on the way.

Installing Ancestor

Images of preparators moving the sculpture

Preparators move Seymour Lipton’s Ancestor to a cozy spot in front of the Phillips. Photos: Amy Wike

Yesterday, the weather cooperated and the sun peeked out as preparators spent the morning installing Seymour Lipton’s Ancestor (1958) in front of the original Phillips house.

Images of Phillips staff installing the sculpture

Preparators Bill Koberg and Alec MacKaye rotate the statue to test out a few angles, while Director Dorothy Kosinski provides input. Photos: Amy Wike

Images of the sculpture installed

Installed! Seymour Lipton, Ancestor, 1958. Nickel-silver on monel metal, 87 x 19 1/2 x 32 in. The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. Acquired 1964. Photos: Amy Wike