Zenith Systems and Peerless-AV® deliver an immersive digital experience to enhance the experience of visitors to the museum and its special Renaissance exhibition.
Overview
Today’s cultural institutions are embracing emerging digital innovation and technology initiatives to combine the tactile with the virtual, setting new standards in audience engagement and immersive storytelling. The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) in Ohio is an exemplary institution in its use of innovative dvLED technology to bring artifacts to life through physical interaction. In its new Renaissance exhibition, showcasing a masterpiece from the fifteenth and sixteenth century Italian painter “Pintoricchio”, visitors can get ‘up close’ to the “Virgin and Child” and explore the intricate details of the painting’s restoration as if under a microscope – enabled by fine pixel pitch dvLED displays from Planar and a universal dvLED mounting system from Peerless-AV®.
Systems integrator Zenith Systems facilitated the project, which started with a lobby installation in 2025 and progressed to a second installation for this captivating, temporary exhibition, running from August 10, 2025, to August 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 universal mounting system and was installed in March 2025, while the second video wall integrates the latest generation system, launched at InfoComm Orlando 2025.
The Challenge
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, cost and labor-intensive, and 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. The company’s universal mounting system was highly recommended; hence, 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 second installation in the “Pintoricchio” exhibition, 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. Zenith Systems was considering various mounting options when they attended InfoComm 2025.
“We had a plan, but we weren’t crazy about it. 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,” said Doug Fortney, CTO at Zenith Systems. “We immediately recognized what we wanted to use it for. 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 this 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. Additionally, 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 as the experts in achieving precision positioning of pixels with flawless results. The two teams worked closely to ensure the installation was executed to exact measurements with minimal disruption.
The Solution
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 costs on site. 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. Unlike alternative options, SEAMLESS Connect is a truly universal mounting system, compatible with the majority of latching dvLED displays. Its slim-to-wall, lightweight, modular structure simplifies setup and reduces the number of drilled holes required for minimal wall damage.
The video wall in the museum’s main lobby measures 20' wide x 6.7' high, featuring Planar DLPro 1.5mm dvLED Displays with a resolution of 3840x1296. Configured with a specialized software package, the museum’s content department can deliver dynamic, regularly refreshed digital signage for visitors passing through, including welcome messaging, timetables, and information on exhibits. This space sees 80% of the museum’s total foot traffic; therefore, it was critical that the installation be both functional and visually appealing. Content can also be tailored for special events and functions outside of public opening hours.
The video wall in the temporary Pintoricchio exhibition measures 10' x 10', featuring Planar DL Pro 1.8 mm LED Displays with a resolution of 1600x1620 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.
This enchanting exhibit works by monitoring visitor movements so that, as they get closer to viewing the painting, the image on the video wall magnifies hidden details of the restoration. In this way, it is a magical alternative to traditional museum touch-enabled applications. Here, interaction is conducted through people’s movement around the space.
The Installation
Installation of both video walls was smooth and efficient, taking place within a two-week timeframe 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. The process was overseen and supported directly by Peerless-AV’s SEAMLESS dvLED team, who worked on-site with the Zenith Systems team and museum architects to ensure the accuracy and quality of the installation – and within a tight window to ensure completion for the extra special exhibition’s opening day.
Having never worked with Peerless-AV dvLED mounting systems, but with decades of partnership between both parties, Zenith Systems recognized the importance of detailed design consultation to ensure a first-time-right installation, taking away any pain and potential delays in this uncharted territory. The Zenith Systems team collaborated closely, leveraging Peerless-AV’s expertise in presales design, project management, customer service, and onsite installation consultation to ensure all project stages ran smoothly.
“At Peerless-AV, we understand that no two museums are alike – each has its own structural environment, aesthetic vision, and operational needs”, said 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. This collaborative, upfront approach - bookended by our onsite installation consultation services - saved valuable time and mitigated the risk of unforeseen challenges. Together, our two teams delivered a solution that not only preserved the museum’s unique character but also reflected the world-class art experiences the museum strives to provide.”
The installation was a true collaboration, and the museum praised Peerless-AV’s team for being responsive and detail-oriented throughout the process. This hands-on approach helped alleviate the uncertainties the museum initially had about such a high-profile and technically demanding installation.
The Results
Since completing the installations, the museum has seen significant operational benefits. Although the improvements are largely back-end, 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, captivating guests who pass through the space. Meanwhile, the video wall for the Pintoricchio exhibition is expected to be viewed by about 50% of museum visitors, offering a uniquely engaging way to display digital art.
Most importantly, the museum’s leadership is delighted and confirmed to Zenith Systems that the mounting system will be adopted for future projects - a strong vote of confidence in the product's reliability and effectiveness.
Jane Alexander, Director of Communications at the Cleveland Museum of Art, commented: “Without the mount, we can see that the glamour of the Pintoricchio exhibition wouldn’t be there. 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. It’s magnificent!”
“If you’re mounting a video wall in any kind of non-standard environment, this universal mounting system will solve problems you didn’t even know you had,” said Doug Fortney, CTO of Zenith Systems. “Peerless-AV provided a cleaner, more elegant way to reach our ultimate visual goal, while installation was less time-consuming and costly than we expected. The adjustability was magic – with a laser, you can get the alignment just perfect! And the team was also super responsive with their support throughout. We couldn’t have asked for a better result.”
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