Dynamic, interactive, cutting-edge, boasting a stellar design, and acting as repository for a truly remarkable collection of permanent artefacts like the stunning Didarganj Yakshi, this futuristic museum leaves its counterparts around the nation far behind.
Despite its rich cultural heritage spanning centuries, Bihar, and specifically Patna, has languished in obscurity for ages. Fortunately, this seems set to change with the opening of the Bihar Museum in the heart of the city a few years ago. Dynamic, interactive, cutting-edge, boasting a stellar design, and acting as repository for a truly remarkable collection of permanent artefacts like the stunning Didarganj Yakshi, this futuristic museum leaves its counterparts around the nation far behind. This is also what makes it the perfect location to host an international Museum Biennale.
Initially envisioned by the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar as a space to relay the state’s colourful history and culture over thousands of years inclusively, interactively, and experientially, it was brought to life by the Director General of Bihar Museum, Anjani Kumar Singh (Advisor to the Chief Minister, Bihar) who visited the best museums across the world and enlisted the best international teams for this purpose. Having created this behemoth of culture in Patna, it now became their mission to showcase its beauty to the rest of the world. For this, the Bihar Museum Biennale was instituted as a bi-annual event that would explore themes of universal appeal, and in the words of Singh, “transform a static space into a laboratory of ideas.” Dr. Alka Pande was brought on board as the Chief Curator and Artistic Producer of the Bihar Museum Biennale to make the museum “an engaging and welcoming space.” And together, they did exactly that for its second edition which kicked off with much pomp on August 7 in Patna.
Till it closes on December 31, 2023, the Bihar Museum Biennale will see a host of engaging exhibits displayed on a rolling basis from around the world. As Singh explains, “Bihar Museum is an architectural splendour of post-Independent India. It serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of this land showcasing the creative genius that has blossomed in these surroundings. The Museum Biennale aspires to shape cultures, foster meaningful discussions, and elevate the museum space into a dynamic realm. This unique platform serves as an avenue for sharing histories and strategies.”
Dr. Pande adds, “Museums, once thought of as places of antiquity where visitors merely stand before lifeless, fossilized objects with little engagement, have evolved significantly. Personally, my perspective has been transformed through my involvement with the Museum Biennale and my exploration of the deeper meaning behind museum collections. I now see museums as extraordinary platforms. The visitor experience they offer goes far beyond passive observation. Museums speak of the unbroken thread of a civilization’s memory, creating a space where profound ideas thrive. The Bihar Museum Biennale stands as a remarkable example of this phenomenon, as it not only showcases beauty but also represents the diverse and pluralistic culture of India.”
On August 7, which is also the Foundation Day of the museum, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the Biennale and addressed a large gathering on the importance of preserving one’s cultural heritage. He also shared his hope that the Museum Biennale would introduce the people of Bihar to diverse cultures. His speech drew enthusiastic applause from the young and old alike. This was followed by a cultural programme with artists from Russia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Bolivia, and Guinea, who performed Kathak and Bharatanatyam before transitioning to 13 different dance forms. The evening closed with a sumptuous Bihari meal served at the famed The Potbelly restaurant inside the museum. One could also browse through the numerous temporary exhibits on display as part of the Museum Biennale. The largest and most prestigious of these was the G20 exhibition titled ‘Together We Art’ which will be on display for two months, ending on October 7. The works of 19 artists from G20 member nations and nine guest countries are displayed alongside those of 20 famed Indian artists from diverse spectrums.
Tied together by the theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ which translates to ‘the world is a family’, this exhibit integrates the artistic response to many concerns collectively faced by the G20 countries. From climate change to gender inclusivity, the scourge of migration to questions of identity, and global unity to consumerism, this multi-sensory and experiential exhibition raises a number of pertinent questions.
On display are paintings, digital installations, ceramics and sculptures made by prominent Indian artists such as Jayasri Burman, Seema Kohli, Subodh Gupta, Sudarshan Shetty, Arpana Caur, G. R. Iranna, Paresh Maity, Raghu Rai, Ravinder Reddy, Sanjay Kumar, Chandra Bhattacharjee, Rajat Ghosh, Jayashree Chakravarty, Sanatan Dinda, K.S. Radhakrishnan, Ayesha Seth Sen, Himmat Shah, Bose Krishnamachari, Sunil Padwal and P.R.Daroz.
Among the international artists, we saw the works of We Weishan (China), Thijs Biersteker (The UK), Thalente Khomo (South Africa), Sara Sejin Chang (Netherlands), Robert Zhao Renhui (Singapore), Misako Shine (Japan), Dylan Mooney (Australia), Zeynep Özüm Ak & Yunus Ak (Turkey), Faisal Kamandobat (Indonesia), Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim (UAE), Jessica Houston (Canada), Francesca Leone (Italy), Edgar Orlaineta (Mexico), among others. Other than the expansive G20 exhibit, dedicated international exhibits from countries like Nepal, Russia, Israel, Costa Rica and Panama, are also on display, with more to come in the following months. The Nepal Art Council has organised ‘Nepal: Where the Gods Reside’ which contains 70 artworks that seek to impress upon visitors the vastness of Nepal’s syncretic spiritual atmosphere as the abode of deities. Russia’s immersive visual display called ‘Vedic Universe Expo’, a domed movie theatre experience exploring concepts of Vedic philosophy under the title of “Mystic Universe” and made in collaboration with Fulldome.pro, is another noteworthy installation.
A multi-purpose hall contains collections loaned by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) museum in Mumbai of Tanjore art paintings in an exhibition titled ‘Three Dimensions of Divinity – Thanjavur Art Revealed’ and another on loan from the Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, titled ‘Contemporary Artists from Salar Jung Museum’ which showcases the culture of Telangana through an artistic lens. The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, which is the knowledge partner for the Museum Biennale, has also displayed two of its prominent works by Sudarshan Shetty and Subodh Gupta. To mark the launch of the Biennale, Dr. Pande curated symposia over the course of two days with eminent speakers to discuss issues pertaining to museum-building. On the first day, Prof. Yannick Lintz, President Musee Guimet, Paris shared his perspectives on curatorial strategies and displays in the museums. Then, Pheroza Godrej, Director, Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai and Rakhi Sarkar, Director, Centre of International Modern Art, Kolkata delved into the changing creative industry paradigms.
On the second day, Stephen Inglis, Director General of Research and Collections at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hala Warde, Lebanese/French Architect and Michael Peter Edson, Director, Museum of Solutions, Mumbai spoke about new museums and typologies, while Dr. Lars-Christian Koch, Director of the Staatliche Museen Zu Berlin, Germany and Prof. Amareswar Galla PhD, UNESCO Chair on Inclusive Museums & Sustainable Heritage Development, Anant National University, Ahmedabad, shed light on indigenous and intangible cultural heritage. More informative talks and symposia are set to take place on August 22-23.
Three days of being immersed in a cultural exposition of the highest order made us promise ourselves to return to see, learn and imbibe more from the Bihar Museum in the future.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.