MAP
Bengaluru’s new cultural destination
Arvind Krishnaswamy
For many years Kasturba Road has been home to well known institutions that preserve art, artifacts and sculptures. The Government Museum, Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery have been stops on every tourist itinerary. In what is a strange coincidence, while the Government Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery have been closed indefinitely for renovations, a new museum just across the road called Museum of Art & Photography or MAP has opened its doors to the public around the same time.
At first glance, the building hosting the new museum looks just like any modern commercial office space in the heart of the city. However a closer look reveals the “water tank on columns” inspired design with unique stainless steel panels covering the outside of the upper floors and large column free open spaces inside for the exhibitions. Spread over 4000 square meters, the museum spans five floors with a rooftop restaurant and cafe.
Arvind Krishnaswamy
For many years Kasturba Road has been home to well known institutions that preserve art, artifacts and sculptures. The Government Museum, Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery have been stops on every tourist itinerary. In what is a strange coincidence, while the Government Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery have been closed indefinitely for renovations, a new museum just across the road called Museum of Art & Photography or MAP has opened its doors to the public around the same time.
At first glance, the building hosting the new museum looks just like any modern commercial office space in the heart of the city. However a closer look reveals the “water tank on columns” inspired design with unique stainless steel panels covering the outside of the upper floors and large column free open spaces inside for the exhibitions. Spread over 4000 square meters, the museum spans five floors with a rooftop restaurant and cafe.
As you enter the museum on the ground floor with the Welcome Desk in the reception area and the installation Rock Formation Tower, you can see the creative masterpieces of Tambrahalli Subramanya Satyanarayana Iyer, popularly known T. S. Satyan, a much celebrated photojournalist in his birth centenary year. Satyan’s stark black and white images of politicians and ordinary people are captivating and thought provoking. Many of the images were taken decades earlier but they have a timeless appeal and are as relevant as something captured today.
The other notable current exhibitions are VISIBLE/INVISIBLE which focuses on the representation of women in art and Book of Gold – The Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras.
The first features over 130 works of art by some of India’s leading artists and a photography collection featuring Jyoti Bhatt, Clare Arni and Pushpamala N and many others.
The second is an unique rendition of the Ramayana, reconstructing the illustrated manuscript of Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas commissioned by Maharaja Udit Narayan Singh of Banaras. Painted with ornate gold, these pages of the Kanchana Chitra Ramayana will be on public display for the first time. For those who are interested in viewing a digital copy of the book, MAP has made it available online as well.
As you enter the museum on the ground floor with the Welcome Desk in the reception area and the installation Rock Formation Tower, you can see the creative masterpieces of Tambrahalli Subramanya Satyanarayana Iyer, popularly known T. S. Satyan, a much celebrated photojournalist in his birth centenary year. Satyan’s stark black and white images of politicians and ordinary people are captivating and thought provoking. Many of the images were taken decades earlier but they have a timeless appeal and are as relevant as something captured today.
The other notable current exhibitions are VISIBLE/INVISIBLE which focuses on the representation of women in art and Book of Gold – The Kanchana Chitra Ramayana of Banaras.
The first features over 130 works of art by some of India’s leading artists and a photography collection featuring Jyoti Bhatt, Clare Arni and Pushpamala N and many others.
The second is an unique rendition of the Ramayana, reconstructing the illustrated manuscript of Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas commissioned by Maharaja Udit Narayan Singh of Banaras. Painted with ornate gold, these pages of the Kanchana Chitra Ramayana will be on public display for the first time. For those who are interested in viewing a digital copy of the book, MAP has made it available online as well.
Besides the museum, there are two major efforts to take art to the people. MAP is involved in education and outreach through workshops for school children, art appreciation classes, public talks and seminars. The MAP Academy is an educational platform primarily focused on Indian art for students, scholars and enthusiasts around the world.
MAP’s objective is laudable and many initiatives like combining art and technology are futuristic. The big question is how well they can make themselves visible and accessible to the common person. As Christine DeVita, President of Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund once said “it requires museums to think about the needs and interests of the people they want to serve with the same level of intensity they bring to bear for the creation and stewardship of their collections.”
It is very intriguing that while the Museum’s mission is to “democratise art, making it as fun and relatable to everyone as possible”, the accompanying image shows people streaming into the Government Museum with the building of MAP across the road in the background.
If they can get the same people to cross over in the other direction and visit a modern, well maintained private museum, then they will achieve their purpose and ultimate goal.
Besides the museum, there are two major efforts to take art to the people. MAP is involved in education and outreach through workshops for school children, art appreciation classes, public talks and seminars. The MAP Academy is an educational platform primarily focused on Indian art for students, scholars and enthusiasts around the world.
MAP’s objective is laudable and many initiatives like combining art and technology are futuristic. The big question is how well they can make themselves visible and accessible to the common person. As Chrstine DeVita, President of Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund once said “it requires museums to think about the needs and interests of the people they want to serve with the same level of intensity they bring to bear for the creation and stewardship of their collections.”
It is very intriguing that while the Museum’s mission is to “democratise art, making it as fun and relatable to everyone as possible”, the accompanying image shows people streaming into the Government Museum with the building of MAP across the road in the background.
If they can get the same people to cross over in the other direction and visit a modern, well maintained private museum, then they will achieve their purpose and ultimate goal.
