Diego Rivera: Moving a Masterpiece

How do you move a thirty-ton mural? Very carefully. Moving a Masterpiece documents the incredible four-year project involved with transporting Diego Rivera’s largest portable mural, Pan American Unity, from City College of San Francisco (CCSF) to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). A treasured masterpiece, Pan American Unity comprises ten massive fresco panels that are rich in symbolism and imagery from across the North American continent, including Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Featuring a range of thought-provoking interviews, stunning videography, and impressive timelapse footage, Moving a Masterpiece shares the story of the extensive investigation, research, and preparation that brought together SFMOMA, CCSF, scientists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and an international team of conservators, Rivera scholars, and Atthowe Fine Art Services. Together they studied the engineering, conservation, and scientific requirements for moving such a monumental, historic, and fragile work of art to where you see it today — in SFMOMA’s free-to-visit Roberts Family Gallery.

Film Details

Director: Jennifer Walters and Josh Bryant
Year: 2021
Running time: 24 minutes
Country: United States