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Asian art curator Robert Jacobsen invited Tibetan monks from the Gyuto Tantric University to create a sand mandala at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. |
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Considering the fleeting nature of sand mandalas, museum officials wondered if it might be possible to make the mandala "permanent"—in the hopes of adding it to the museum's collection. |
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The monks and their sponsors in Minnesota were in favor of the preservation idea, believing it would help tell their story to museum visitors. |
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Jacobsen contacted locally based Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M), to develop materials that could preserve the mandala. |
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With intensive research, 3M discovered an ideal sand, permanent pigments, and an adhesive to bind it all together. |
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A special supportive wooden platform was made to go underneath the mandala in preparation for its eventual vertical display. |
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A gallery space at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts was made available for the creation of the mandala, and to allow the public to freely observe the event. |
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Creation |
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Tibetan monks from the Gyuto Tantric University in northern India arrived in Minnesota for the four-week project. |
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A traditional opening ceremony took place at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. |
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From memory, the monks sketched an outline for the mandala on the wooden platform. |
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Following the drawing, the pigmented sand provided by 3M was used to create the mandala. (Each monk holds a tool called a chak-pur in one hand, and runs a metal rod along its ribbed surface. The vibration causes the sand to flow out like a liquid.) |
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Traditionally, after a mandala is completed, it is blessed with a final ceremony and then swept into the nearest body of water. In this case, there was a final ceremony and blessing, but the mandala was left intact for preservation. |
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Preservation
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After the monks' work was finished, Al Silberstein and Edward Peterson, carpenters at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, worked for an additional four weeks to preserve the mandala. |
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To harden the mandala and fix the sand, a resin—or adhesive—was applied. This was accomplished by surrounding the mandala with a high, makeshift tent. Then the resin was sprayed through a hole at the top of the tent, creating a fog. |
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After the fog settled, the tent was removed and a scaffold was built over the mandala so Silberstein and Peterson could access any area. |
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Eyedroppers filled with resin had to be used meticulously to completely seal any previously missed sections. |
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Each night, infrared lights were used to bake the resin and further solidify the mandala. |
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Unfortunately, after the resin treatment, the white sand became clear, since it did not contain any pigment. To remedy this situation, these areas were carefully painted. |
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A specially formulated dark blue oil paint was used to cover the area surrounding the sand. |
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Finally, the mandala was lifted up vertically, by hand. With virtually every grain of sand intact, it proved to be a successful preservation. |
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