‘Museums without borders’: First up on the MAP is the iconic British Museum

Bengaluru’s new Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) is creating history before even opening its doors to a physical audience with its online offering of binge-worthy art experiences, exhibitions, children’s workshops, available to all on their website. There is so much on offer that visitors could wander the virtual museum endlessly from the comfort of their homes.

Among the current shows is Zoya Siddiqui: A Distant Place, where the artist examines the social and physical distance between the insider and the outsider. Another is Bhuri Bai: My Life as an Artist, which looks at the work of the painter, muralist and illustrator. Suresh Punjabi’s: The Business of Dreams explores the work of a studio photographer from the central Indian town of Nagda, Madhya Pradesh.

But the most unique of all the options on display is, Museums Without Borders - a digital collaboration between MAP and institutions in India and across the world. Ranging from six to ten minutes, each episode in this series juxtaposes an artwork from MAP with an object from a partner museum exploring commonalities and differences in style, subject or narrative. Republic World spoke to MAP in detail about the series, read the conversation below - 

What is the idea behind ‘Museums Without Borders’ and what it aims to do?

The COVID-19 pandemic calls for museums to be unusually creative in the way they interpret their collections and Museums without Borders is one such attempt. With this initiative, we hope to facilitate dialogue between museums and the sharing of objects, skills, and ideas in a spirit of collaboration that the new world demands of us.

Museums Without Borders (MWB) looks to open a conversation between objects linked variously by theme, medium or period including from different cultures or geographies, that provides us with a new understanding of what they once meant or how they can be seen. MAP wanted to create a platform which would allow audiences to not just virtually tour museums across the globe, but also gain a deeper understanding of India’s shared history with the rest of the world.

The first episode features an artwork from The British Museum juxtaposed with that of MAP’s. What as per you connects the 2 paintings, in what way?

Our collaboration with the British Museum featured an 18th-century miniature painting by Nainsukh in conversation with a work by Tyeb Mehta from the MAP collection. While both works tread vastly different time periods and social contexts, they are united by the theme of music.

The painting by Nainsukh titled The Trumpeters depicts a group of joyous musicians playing their horns, while Tyeb’s work renders a solitary figure playing the drum in what appears to be a frenzy. Although there is a stark contrast in the mood that both works evoke, they share a similar intensity. Moreover, from a stylistic point of view, Mehta’s use of flat planes of colour and the diagonal line are also devices that we see in Indian miniature paintings.

What future collaborations can the viewers expect next?

We have many more collaborations that are going to be released on the website every two weeks. Viewers can expect episodes with The Vitra Design Museum and MFA, Boston among others. Additionally, Museums Without Borders (MWB) is being developed into a larger series. We begin by creating one episode with each museum; however, going forward we will develop this into a more comprehensive series wherein we direct and put out a number of episodes with each museum depending on the synergy.

A primary goal for the MWB is to also reach out to more museums within India and South Asia. We want to urge our audiences to look at, understand and appreciate the treasures that are housed within our country, instead of only focussing on the Louvre or the MET. MAP wants to create a vibrant museum-going culture, not only in Bengaluru, but throughout the entire country. Establishing relationships with other museums and institutions within the country allows for a sharing of resources and knowledge that will be helpful for achieving our mission of taking art to the heart of the community.

Do you think viewers can engage with online exhibits in the same way one would with a physical one?

Online exhibits don’t necessarily provide the same viewing experience as a physical one, but they do allow for newer methods and modes of engagement. For example, with our latest exhibition on the South Asian contemporary artist Zoya Siddiqui, we were able to curate the entire exhibition in the form of videos which also featured a personal narration by the artist. This level of engagement was made possible through the developing digital realm and may have been different in a physical exhibit.

What are the benefits or cons of having a virtual exhibit? Do you agree that online exhibits are more accessible to people regardless of location?

We see the digital and the physical museum as two parts of a whole, each complementing the other. The pandemic may have changed things irrevocably in certain ways but it has been an incredible learning curve and also facilitated new opportunities of engagement. We have discovered how innovation and flexibility are invaluable to an organisation if we are to stay relevant. Since the virtual space is where the conversation has shifted, MAP has focused its attention on this space for the moment, to connect with its audiences and share its vast collection.

So while the con of virtual exhibits remains that one may not get the full experience of engaging with and viewing an artwork physically, the pros are numerous! The digital platform provides us the opportunity to provide new art experiences taking advantage of its reach and access. It has allowed MAP to reach out to audiences sitting across the world who do not have to necessarily travel to Bengaluru to view the Museum’s collection and experience art. However, at the end of the day, we do believe that people will always enjoy the warmth of human interaction, the invaluable experience of engaging with an artwork in the flesh and connecting with the museum as a physical experience – and we will be ready for this, when they are.

(Picture courtesy: MAP)