Museum Of Art & Photography Launches Museums Without Borders Program

The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) will launch digitally on Saturday, 5 December, an opportunity to reach global audiences with the great art of the sub-continent. Their new building delayed by COVID, MAP nevertheless moves ahead, presenting a week-long virtual program of events entitled Art (is) Life and inaugurating their Museums Without Borders initiative.

MAP's digital platform will offer curated experiences, allowing audiences to interact with MAP's exhibitions and events from the comfort of their homes at any time. MAP has a growing collection of over 18,000 artworks, predominantly from the subcontinent and dating from the 10th century to the present, with concentrations in Pre-Modern Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, Photography, Folk and Tribal Art, Popular Culture, Textiles, Craft and Design.

Founder-Trustee of MAP, Abhishek Poddar says, "Our vision at MAP is to reach out to people from all walks of life and make the collection available to the world. Then why should we wait for a physical museum to come up? Launching digitally is the organic next step for MAP, achieving our agenda of inclusion and accessibility. To be truly relevant museums and cultural institutions need to always rethink and reinvent themselves, Even more so in challenging times like these. MAP's digital launch marks the birth of a new museum for a new era."

MAP's digital launch is a week-long program of events titled Art (is) Life from 5-11 December, 2020. The opening session on Saturday, 5 December will showcase some of the most innovative performances in music, dance, poetry and technology, by leading Indian professionals including art historian Dr. B. N. Goswamy, filmmaker Nandita Das, and visual artist, Jitish Kallat. Each subsequent day of the program will celebrate one of the six departments of the museum's collection including a commissioned performance. Each day's programs will air twice, making them convenient for all time zones at 7pm (IST) and again at 5pm (EST)

"Art (is) Life is a culmination of everything we hope our museum to be," says Kamini Sawhney, the Director of MAP. "The opening program will showcase how the arts are interconnected, each enriching the others. This is reflective of the Museum's vision to draw connections across the collection, creating unique narratives. We are working on creative ways to bring art to everyone. The launch program of commissioned performances and collaborations with international institutions is a preview for what is to come regularly with MAP."

The program will also launch the first five episodes of Museums Without Borders, video collaborations with 50 international institutions that will juxtapose a pair of objects, one from an international collection and one from MAP's, to discover the differences and connections. Participating institutions include the British Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), The Morgan Library and Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Vitra Design Museum, and the Rhode School of Design. This dialogue between the objects will be presented by curators from both institutions. Museums Without Borders allows audiences to discover new narratives and make comparisons without travel, an interesting alternative to gallery displays.

Digital Opening Art is Life daily schedule

To access the program on the day please use https://artislife.events

Opening Night: Saturday 5 December

7:00 - 7:45 PM Indian Standard Time

1:30 - 2:15 PM Greenwich Mean Time

8:30 - 9:15 AM Eastern Standard Time (Friday morning)

or

3:30 - 4:15 AM Indian Standard Time

10:00 - 10:45 PM Greenwich Mean Time

5:00 - 5:45 PM, Eastern Standard Time

A uniquely crafted sensorial experience, bringing together art, poetry, dance and music featuring well-known Indian cultural figures including lyricist Javed Akhtar, actor Shabana Azmi, classical dancer Malavika Sarukkai, film and theatre professional Arundhati Nag, art historian Dr B N Goswamy, filmmaker Nandita Das, visual artist Jitish Kallat and singer Kavita Seth. Plus a virtual tour through the MAP building and collection.

Second Day: Sunday 6 December | Popular Culture

7:00 - 7:45 PM IST / 1:30 - 2:30 PM GMT / 8:30 - 9:15 AM EST (Saturday morning)

or

3:30 - 4:15 AM IST / 10:00 - 10:45 PM GMT / 5:00 - 5:45 PM EST

Presented by actor and theatre director Lillete Dubey

In a special performance, drummers from Dharavi, Mumbai will respond to Bollywood posters on the themes of migration and the pandemic. MAP's Madhura Wairkar presents fascinating stores from our Popular Culture Collection. Plus the premier of our Museum Without Borders series, this episode in conjunction with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, comparing 19th Century prints featuring a similar iconography of Krishna and Radha, the divine lovers in Hindu mythology.

Third Day: Monday, 7 December. | Folk & Tribal Art

7:00 - 7:45 PM IST / 1:30 - 2:30 PM GMT / 8:30 - 9:15 AM EST (Sunday morning)

or

3:30 - 4:15 AM IST / 10:00 - 10:45 PM GMT /5:00 - 5:45 PM EST

Presented by author Devdutt Pattanaik

In a special performance directed by Sharanya Ramprakash, the artists of Udupi Yakshagana Kendra will reimagine an artwork from MAP's collection depicting a fight from the Hindu epic, Ramayana, between Jatayu and Ravana to save Sita from being taken to Lanka. MAP's Shubhasree Pirkayastha explores highlights from our indigenous art collection, these objects act as a tribute to traditional storytelling. Plus the second installment of our Museum Without Borders series, this episode in conjunction with the Rhode Island School of Design, discussing two pioneering indigenous artists in our collections - India's Jangarh Singh Shyam and Canada's Kenojuak Ashevak.

Fourth Day: Tuesday 8 December | Pre-Modern Art

7:00 - 7:45 PM IST / 1:30 - 2:30 PM GMT / 8:30 - 9:15 AM EST (Monday morning)

or

3:30 - 4:15 AM IST / 10:00 - 10:45 PM GMT /5:00 - 5:45 PM EST

Presented by historian William Dalrymple

In a special performance, Madhu Nataraj, Director of STEM Dance Kampni and the Natya Institute of Kathak & Choreography, and her troupe will respond to Amrut Manthana and a Nayika Painting from MAP's collection. MAP's Shilpa Vijayakrishnan explores artworks from the collection illuminating a rich repository of stories - historical and mythical, real and imagined. Plus the third instalment of our Museum Without Borders series, this episode with the Detroit Institute of Arts; the sculptures of a Yogini and a Brahmani provoke a conversation on powerful goddesses.

Fifth Day: Wednesday, 9 December | Textile, Craft & Design

7:00 - 7:45 PM IST / 1:30 - 2:30 PM GMT / 8:30 - 9:15 AM EST (Tuesday morning)

or

3:30 - 4:15 AM IST / 10:00 - 10:45 PM GMT /5:00 - 5:45 PM EST

Presented by designer Ritu Kumar.

In a special performance, musician Rajeev Raja and his band will respond to Krishna Pichwais with a jazz-fusion musical piece. MAP's Vaishnavi Kambadur explores work that is at the intersection of craft and design. Plus the fourth instalment of our Museum Without Borders series, this episode with The Vitra Design Museum, Germany, discussing similarities between two iconic chairs from distinct cultures - a pida chair from Rajasthan and a Rietveld Red & Blue Chair - from their respective collections.

Sixth Day: Thursday 10 December | Modern & Contemporary Art

7:00 - 7:45 PM IST /1:30 - 2:30 PM GMT / 8:30 - 9:15 AM EST (Wednesday morning)

or

3:30 - 4:15 AM IST / 10:00 - 10:45 PM GMT /5:00 - 5:45 PM EST

Presented by artist Rekha Rodwittiya, artist

In a special performance, dancers from the Attakkalari Dance Company will respond to nine unique works on the Goddess Durga by contemporary female Indian artists including Arpita Singh, Anjolie Ela Menon, and Nalini Malani. MAP's Director, Kamini Sawhney takes us through highlights from the collection, revealing how India's traditional art practices, myths, and legends inspire our modern and contemporary practitioners. Plus the fourth instalment of our Museum Without Borders series, this episode with The British Museum, London, looking at artworks from our respective collections - Trumpeters by the acclaimed Pahari painter, Nainsukh and Drummer by Tyeb Mehta - humming the same tune across centuries.

Seventh Day - Photography | Friday 11 December

7:00 - 7:45 PM IST / 1:30 - 2:30 PM GMT / 8:30 - 9:15 AM EST (Thursday morning)

or

3:30 - 4:15 AM IST / 10:00 - 10:45 PM GMT / 5:00 - 5:45 PM EST

Presented by photographer Raghu Rai

Last Supper, Vivek Vilasini, after 2000, K3 ink on archival canvas, MAP

The theatre artist Ram Ganesh Kamatham will respond to Vivek Vilasini's Last Supper with a theatrical performance. MAP's Nathaniel Gaskill takes us on a journey through photography in the collection. Plus the sixth instalment of our Museum Without Borders series, this episode with The Morgan Library and Museum, New York, looking at the works of two photographers - Malick Sidibé's Chemise and a selection of images from Suresh Punjabi's Suhag Studio.

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