Betty Woodman: Aeolian Pyramid at Frieze New York

Completed: May 2016 
Location: Randall’s Island, New York, NY
Project Type: monumental stepped plinth fabrication, structural engineering, museum-grade finish, art fair logistics

In collaboration with the estate and gallery representation of acclaimed ceramicist Betty Woodman, Stand and Build engineered and fabricated a monumental display structure for the presentation of her seminal installation Aeolian Pyramid (2001–2006) at Frieze New York. Originally debuted at The Met in 2006, the complex assemblage comprises 44 glazed earthenware vessels, requiring an engineered tiered plinth capable of supporting substantial ceramic weight within the temporary pavilion environment on Randall’s Island.

Fabricated inside our Long Island City facility, the eight-tiered stepped pyramid was engineered as an interlocking, modular substructure to ensure rapid assembly under tight art fair load-in schedules. Our shop constructed internal ribbed framing and plywood, finished with seamless exterior cladding to eliminate visible fastening seams across all riser faces and tread planes. The entire structure was painted with a pristine, museum-grade matte white finish, creating a crisp architectural backdrop that elevated the rich glaze variations and fluid silhouettes of Woodman’s ceramic forms.

Our team prepared and packed the modular components in Queens, coordinating regional transport to Randall’s Island for handover to the curatorial and fine art handling teams ahead of the fair's opening.