A new exhibit at Ohio's Cleveland Museum of Art is using innovative Pro AV technology to get a better look at a Renaissance masterpiece. "Pintoricchio Magnified: An Immersive Conservation Experience" puts the 15th and 16th century Italian painter's “Virgin and Child” on display, using a video wall to let visitors explore the intricate details of the painting’s restoration as if under a microscope.
As visitors get closer to viewing the painting, the image on the video wall magnifies hidden details of the restoration. Triggered by people’s movement around the space, it offers an alternative to traditional museum touch-enabled applications.
Systems integrator Zenith Systems facilitated the project, which started with a lobby installation in March 2025, and progressed to a second installation for the temporary exhibit, which opened last August and runs through Aug. 23, 2026. Both installations are supported by Peerless-AV’s SEAMLESS Connect universal dvLED mounting system. The video wall in the Horrace Kelly Art Foundation Lobby uses the previous generation system, while the second video wall integrates the latest system that was launched at InfoComm 2025.
Installation Challenges
Previously, Zenith Systems had used a method involving Unistrut with shims to flatten irregular wall surfaces in preparation for video wall installations. While this approach was effective, it was time consuming, costly, and labor intensive—and it lacked the visual appeal necessary for a public-facing museum environment.
The team had experience with installing Peerless-AV mounts in the past, but never for dvLED displays. As the company’s universal mounting system was highly recommended, it was chosen for the initial installation in the Horrace Kelly Art Foundation Lobby. This was more about solving a particular challenge; the video wall was to be installed on a hammered concrete wall, which required a high level of flexibility and adjustability.
Similarly, for the “Pintoricchio Magnified” exhibit, there were specific objectives that needed to be met. The video wall was to be an integral part of the exhibition, working in parallel with the showcased “Virgin and Child” painting to expose minute layers of the painting on a large scale.
“We had a plan, but we weren’t crazy about it," admitted Doug Fortney, CTO at Zenith Systems. "Then, when we saw Peerless-AV’s new dvLED mount in action at InfoComm, it felt like the solution to our problem landed right in our lap. We’d finally found a solution that elegantly addressed both aesthetic and functional concerns while saving on labor and cost. We are so happy to have had the help of Peerless-AV to bring the museum’s conservation vision to life.”
The goal of the installation was to create a video wall so seamless that it looked like another piece of art in the gallery, with the technology playing its part in the background and going completely unnoticed. Plus, as a temporary exhibition, the video wall would need to have inherent flexibility, allowing for relocation to showcase different artifacts inside the museum in the future. Zenith Systems brought in Peerless-AV for the project, and the two teams worked closely to ensure the installation was executed to exact measurements with minimal disruption.
Peerless-AV’s SEAMLESS Connect Universal dvLED Mounting System delivers a perfectly flat mounting surface, even on uneven walls, eliminating one of the biggest challenges for installers and saving valuable time and on-site costs. This precision is especially crucial in a museum environment, where even minor pixel gaps from non-plumb walls could distort the artwork’s reproduction. The mount’s built-in adjustability was a major draw, allowing the video walls to be mounted cleanly without extensive prep work or wall modification.
Different Walls, Different Objectives
The video wall in the museum’s main lobby is 20 feet wide and more than 6 feet high, featuring Planar DirectLight Pro 1.5mm microLED panels. The space sees 80% of the museum’s total foot traffic, so it was critical that the installation be both functional and visually appealing. Configured with a specialized software package, the museum’s content department can deliver dynamic, regularly refreshed digital signage for visitors, including welcome messaging, timetables, and information on exhibits. Content can also be tailored for special events and functions outside of public opening hours.
The 10x10-foot video wall featured in the “Pintoricchio Magnified" exhibit also features Planar panels and is mounted on a specially designed black cladding/structure in a slim wall recess, which gives the appearance of a piece of art within the gallery. There are six cameras mounted to the gallery’s ceiling and positioned around the “Virgin and Child” painting inside its protective cabinet.
Installation of both video walls was smooth and efficient, taking place within a two-week time frame and working around gallery construction and fixing work. Once the space was dust-free, the meticulous mounting of each Planar cabinet could be completed with power and cabling.
“At Peerless-AV, we understand that no two museums are alike—each has its own structural environment, aesthetic vision, and operational needs,” explained Gina Schneider, regional sales manager, Peerless-AV. “Working closely with Zenith Systems, we learned about the museum’s goal to leverage technology to enhance the visitor experience while keeping the art as the true focal point. Early engagement between Peerless-AV and Zenith Systems was key to identifying the right solution from the outset rather than as an afterthought."
Since completing the installations, the museum has seen significant operational benefits. Although the improvements are largely backend, they have had a meaningful impact on the museum’s team. The long-term video wall in the lobby has become an integral part of the visitor experience, while the video wall for the "Pintoricchio Magnified" exhibit is expected to be viewed by about 50% of museum visitors, offering a uniquely engaging way to display digital art.
“Without the mount, we can see that the glamour of the 'Pintoricchio' exhibition wouldn’t be there," said Jane Alexander, director of communications, Cleveland Museum of Art. "It’s wonderful to watch people’s reactions as they interact with this revered painting, which has been so carefully restored. In the latest conservation treatment, original paint layers were revealed, allowing unparalleled access to the artwork’s original composition. And now visitors can see this in full, large-scale glory, but as if seeing under the microscope."
