BIHAR MUSEUM, PATNA – 2013 - 2015
Consultant for the Master Planning firm: Lord Cultural Resources, Canada
Role and Responsibility:
Research coordination, content writing, co - curation and collection management for the entire Museum. Textual and visual research on the history of Bihar was undertaken, and the same was conveyed to the design teams for creation of the Museum’s exhibition and graphic design, website and social media presence
It included coordination between the Bihar Government, Patna Museum, experts, designers, architects, filmmakers and local people
The bi lingual Bihar Museum tells the story of Bihar as the birthplace of Indian history and Bihar’s role in it to restore pride in Bihari history and legacy – till 1764 (the Patna Museum continues the story from 1764). It is the first museum in India with a unique touch based 20, 000 sq ft Children’s Gallery
Its main target audience are 11 - 12 year old children hence is had to be extremely interpretative, interactive, using the latest digital media while keeping in sync with traditional crafts communities. It has a visual storage, research centre, conservation lab, auditorium, special exhibition and Bihari diaspora galleries, workshop space, café and shops
Image Courtesy: Vishal Shastri, Abhishek Shah (City Neon) and Poulomi Das
BUDDHA SMRITI PARK MUSEUM, PATNA - 2013:
Consultant for the Master Planning firm: Lord Cultural Resources, Canada
Role and Responsibility:
Consultant for research coordination, collection management, curation and content writing
This is the only interpretative museum based on the life of Lord Buddha in India; it uses multi - sensory interpretive techniques to tell this story. The crafts communities of Bihar have skilfully created most of the murals for the Museum - as evident from the photographs here
Coordination between Bihar Government, Bodh Gaya Temple Management Trust, experts on Buddhism, designers and fabricators was effectively managed
Located in the Buddha Smriti Park near Patna Railway Station, the entire complex comprises of a Stupa, a Meditation Centre and the Museum
It is a worthy example of appropriation of space for a multipurpose cultural and community purpose as the old jail of Patna, the Bankipore Jail, used to be located at the same site
Image Courtesy: Poulomi Das
PALANPUR CITY MUSEUM, PALANPUR, GUJARAT: 2010 -2011
Role and Responsibility:
Design and curation of an interpretive City Museum and children's interactive activity space for the Vidyamandir Trust at Palanpur, Gujarat
It is located in a 100-year-old bungalow built during the era of Nawab Taley Mohammad Khan, known as TaleyBagh. It has been restored by us effectively maximising the adaptive reuse of the spaces without interfering with its original architecture. The accompanying images demonstrate the condition of the building when it was handed to us and the restoration process guided by us
The Museum is mainly addressed at school children and was in sync with the social studies curricula of the Gujarat board
A curatorial, exhibition design, heritage management plan and conservation policy had been presented. A heritage trail was suggested to link Palanpur's heritage sites. We also included an organisational structure, management and marketing policies
Image Courtesy: Poulomi Das
SISTER NIVEDITA HERITAGE MUSEUM AND KNOWLEDGE CENTRE,
KOLKATA: 2017 - 2018
Role and Responsibility:
Preparation of a Curatorial Plan
The Museum is dedicated to highlighting the life of Sister Nivedita, with special focus on her 8-month association with this house and the role it played in her life
This house and the neighbourhood created a dynamic milieu for the Nationalist Movement that led to India’s freedom struggle for which the Sister was the catalyst. She helped India rediscover, explore and create a cultural identity that helped strengthen her position on the global map. The Museum envisages bringing forth the story of her evolution from Margaret Noble to the Sister, an unforgettable chapter in the history of India
Through stories, incidents, events, conversations, quotations by eminent personalities influenced by her, visuals and representations of the Sister in several references, the following core components of her life and work will be discussed
Image Courtesy: Poulomi Das