Three of five pieces that form "Orion," a steel sculpture by Mark di Suvero that was installed Monday in front of the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

The Chronicle understands that art can require heavy lifting, but usually that’s meant in a metaphorical sense. Not so on Monday, when workers hoisted 23,000 pounds of steel sculpture in front of the University of Michigan Museum of Art’s new wing on South State Street.

The work being installed was “Orion” by artist Mark di Suvero. It’s the first of two large outdoor sculptures by di Suvero that will be on long-term loan to UMMA – the second, “Shang,” will go up later in the plaza between the old museum and its new building.

Workers estimated it would take about five hours to put the entire sculpture in place, and they were fighting time as rain threatened in the afternoon. They’d previously made several scouting trips to the location, looking at the layout and how the sculpture would be oriented on the site.

Tim Hill of the Hill Gallery holds a photo and spec sheet for "Orion," showing the assembled sculpture before it was painted orange.

The piece, finished in 2006, has been on exhibit at Chicago’s Millenium Park and came directly from there. It stands 53 feet high, 23 feet 8 inches wide and 20 feet at its base. “Porkchop,” the name of the crane rented from Allingham Crane & Compressor Rentals, hoisted pieces into place, guided by several workers who’d clearly done this before. Though di Suvero wasn’t on hand for this installation – he lives in New York City – his chief assistant, Lowell McKegney, was supervising the job. His Michigan representatives from Hill Gallery in Birmingham were also on site.

Pam Hill, the gallery’s co-owner, told The Chronicle to look for di Suvero’s stylized peace symbol, which is often a signature of his work. And yes, there it was – a piece that looked like it would end up in Orion’s belt.

The structure will rest on large metal plates. Tim Hill told us that if the sculpture becomes part of UMMA’s permanent collection, they’ll return and build a stronger foundation, making sure the piece is perfectly level.

Installation of “Orion” is one sign that UMMA’s $42 million expansion and renovation project is moving closer to its spring 2009 completion. Though the new building is still fenced off, the construction equipment has for the most part disappeared. No official opening date has yet been set, though that’s expected to be announced later this fall.

As for “Orion,” The Chronicle was unable to stay on site long enough to see what was surely a dramatic lifting of the work into place, but we were impressed with the amount of planning and precision required in preparation for that moment. Here’s a sampling of what we saw:

A crane hoists pieces of the sculpture "Orion." The old art museum and its new wing are seen in the background.

Workers bolt two pieces of "Orion" together. Some parts would later be welded into place.

A crane moves one piece of "Orion" into place.

UMMA Director James Steward, far left, talks with Lowell McKegney. who supervised installation, and Tim Hill of Hill Gallery.

A crane named Porkchop.

This guy working the rototiller between Tisch Hall and UMMA was not particularly interested in the art installation.