We are all taught to try as best as possible to protect works of art. If we take this to the extreme, we would exclude visitors, as they pose perhaps the greatest threat. They bring in pests, dirt, human detritus. And they affect the environment, spewing copious amounts of moisture and a little bit of heat. So, I would suggest a more practical approach to your questions. Yes, it is possible that insects could emerge from the plants. But this probably is no more severe than what comes through the doors. Yes, moisture could be released from the plants and their dirt, but unless you have very little visitation, it will be fairly minor compared to the people. And yes, perhaps light levels will be high, but depending upon the length of the installation, this may not be a concern, especially if important works can be moved for the duration. Remember, light levels fall off with the square of the distance. So at 10 feet they are 1/100th of what they are at 1 foot. I would imagine (although I do not know your specific circumstances) that you should not worry too much about negative effects. And yes, in spite of how it may sound, I AM a conservator who specializes in environmental issues. [smile]

From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">leonard cicero

Sent: Friday, May 27, 2016 5:45 PM

To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Precautions for exhibiting live plants among other artworks

I have some concerns regarding including a work of art in an upcoming exhibition that will contain live plants.

1. The materials (i.e. soil, dirt, moss and plants) will be arriving for installation after other works in the show will be installed.

2. The artwork housing these elements will be open and suspended above the ground

3. The work will require special lighting needs that may effect more light sensitive pieces near this one.

While we seem to have figured out how to deal with the special lighting needs, my questions are:

-has anyone dealt with similar works in an otherwise fine art gallery environment?

-besides using sterilized (treated) soil, are there any suggestions on how to mitigate the possibility of insect infestation in the galleries?

-do you think this micro-climate, while mostly encased in a terrarium, but open on the bottom, will change the overall humidity conditions in the gallery? (it will need to be occasionally watered to keep the plants alive).

-are there other concerns I have not yet mentioned but should be considering?

Thanks in advance to all how answer.

Leonard M. Cicero