written by Oscar Holland, CNN
Spanning a new five-story building, the private museum, as its name suggests, focuses on pre-modern, contemporary and contemporary art and photography. But its rich archive of textiles, crafts, and print advertising speaks to a broader mission to erode the distinction between “fine art” and what the museum describes as “everyday creativity.”
Bollywood memorabilia and traditional textiles are spotlighted alongside ancient bronzes and carved deities. MAP founder, businessman and philanthropist Abhishek Podder says the collection “he puts everything on one level playing field.”
“To make a complete distinction between ‘high’ art and ‘low’ art, decorative arts and fine arts is not an Indian concept,” Poddar, one of India’s most prominent art collectors, said in a video call. rice field. “It’s a very Western structure. We grew up seeing it in museums, but not in life.”
Bhupen Khakhar’s 1965 work “Devi” is featured in the MAP exhibition, which deconstructs the conventional image of the goddess and charts the representation of women in Indian art. credit: Museums and Photography, Bangalore
Making collections accessible and avoiding the perception that art galleries are elitist institutions is part of Poddar’s goal of fostering what he calls a “museum-going culture” in India. Most of the MAP is free and open to the public, and he waives fees for one afternoon of the week for a ticketed exhibition. More than 1,000 people visited each day on its opening weekend, according to the museum.
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“India has some of the most amazing art, both in terms of what was made in the past and what is being made today,” said MAP, who founded MAP with 7,000 works from private collections and has since “Thousands of items,” said Poddar, who donated . mosquito?”
fight against prejudice
MAP’s opening program also reflects a concern for overlooked narratives. Check out Visible/Invisible, a top-grossing exhibition that explores the representation of women throughout Indian art history.
For centuries women have been depicted as goddesses and mothers, nurturers and commodities. It was seen exclusively through
A textile label for the trading company Shaw Wallace, depicting women as “Goddess India,” is one example of Shaw’s everyday design. credit: Museums and Photography, Bangalore
“Women in India are deified as goddesses and, on the other end of the spectrum, seen as objects of desire,” she said in a video call shortly after the show’s opening. Where is the space to be a normal human being with the ambitions, desires and weaknesses that
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As the 20th century progressed, Thorney added, women began to “get the story”. Includes artist. Her brooding 1991 painting by Nalini Marani imagines mythical women as figures of both nurturing and violence. Nirima Sheikh’s “Mother and Child 2” depicts the bond of motherhood that thousands of years of male artists could only guess.
The exhibition showcases six originals commissioned to fill the gaps in the canon, including a quilt by non-binary artist Renuka Rajiv and a video work by LGBTQ collective Payana, created in collaboration with transgender people over the age of 50. Works are also on display.
A still from the 1950 film Dahej. MAP’s exhibition catalog describes the work as “a powerful critique of dowry practices in India.” credit: Museums and Photography, Bangalore
At a time when museums are expected to be more than just containers for art, Thorney’s curatorial approach seeks to counteract prejudice. According to her, future exhibitions will tap into the handicraft traditions and indigenous arts of marginalized communities that are traditionally “not considered worthy of being in a museum.”
A museum is not “just an object on the wall,” Sawney added. So we see her MAP as a space for everyone’s voices within the community, not just the dominant voice. ”
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philanthropy rules
MAP is a 44,000-square-foot building designed by local architecture firm Matthew & Gauche and features four galleries, an auditorium, a conservation center, and a research library. It is also situated essentially in the heart of the museum district of Bangalore, a city often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’.
The museum began with four exhibits largely drawn from its 60,000-item collection. credit: Krishna Tangilala / Museum of Art and Photography, Bangalore
Beyond Poddar’s personal donations, instead of an acquisition budget, MAP’s remaining collection is made up of donations from philanthropists and other donors. The founders estimate that ticket sales will cover “barely 10%” of the museum’s costs, with sponsorships and donations making up much of the shortfall.
But while Podder acknowledges that art and culture are largely absent from what he calls India’s “hierarchy of needs,” investment in this area is essential to preserving cultural heritage. I believe there is. He compared the loss of India’s artistic tradition to an “extinct animal”.
“I think it’s time, as a country, as a people, to start thinking about this more seriously,” he said. “This is for all of us, not the realm of one individual, one group, or community.”
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