Moving the Unmovable: Insights from Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity
The recent article by researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico details the transportation of Diego Rivera’s monumental mural, Pan American Unity, and offers comprehensive insight into one of the most rigorous and practical frameworks to date for moving large-scale, vibration-sensitive artworks. You can read the full paper here:
Minimizing Transportation Damage of Murals: Application of Wire Rope Isolators and Real-Time Vibration Monitoring in the Case Study of Diego Rivera’s ‘Pan American Unity’
At 30 tons, 22x74 feet in scale, and composed of uniquely thin and fragile materials—the mural presented an extraordinary challenge when it was relocated between City College of San Francisco (CCSF) and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in 2021 and again in 2024. The move was achieved via highly collaborative planning between a diverse set of conservation, engineering, and logistics experts, including the specialized staff of Atthowe Fine Art Services.
The study highlights the innovative approach used: that of combining wire rope isolators with real-time vibration monitoring to reduce risk during transit. As the researchers note in the case study, the passive wire-rope isolation framework achieved up to −20 dB attenuation in the most critical vibration range, dramatically reducing the energy transmitted to the artwork. Just as importantly, we employed a human-in-the-loop model, where live sensor feedback enabled Atthowe crews to intervene immediately when vibration thresholds were at risk. Atthowe Fine Art Services staff served as project management and on-the-ground hands-on logistics for these moves—providing the art handlers, riggers, drivers, and project managers. From crane direction to transport through San Francisco’s complex terrain, our role was to translate in the moment data feedback into strategic, practiced, and careful action.
The paper’s authors emphasize that this hybrid approach of passive isolation, plus real-time alerts, with expert on-the-ground interventions—is both robust and replicable for institutions and projects worldwide.
Atthowe Fine Art Services’ Head Rigger and Senior Project Manager preparing to move a segment of Diego Rivera’s mural, Pan American Unity, 1940
Looking Ahead
We’re especially honored to be part of the next chapter: planning for the mural’s upcoming move to its permanent home at CCSF’s new Diego Rivera Theater—designed by LMN Architects, with ground-breaking just this past January of 2026. The theater will provide a performing arts space that honors the artwork’s import and legacy, allowing generations of viewers to enjoy the mural both inside and outside, via the buidlings multistory all-glass entry façade.
Learn more about the project here:
Diego Rivera Performing Arts Center City College of San Francisco - LMN Architects
As this next relocation approaches in 2027, we’re proud to continue supporting a project that represents the very best of what’s possible when engineering, conservation, and expert art logistics come together.
CCSF’s planned Diego Rivera Theatre, rendered by LMN Architects