Exploring MUseuMBAI
“Wow! I love it! Now we will play Antakshari in the bus.” This was my First reaction when I was made realized that we all are going for a visit to some Museum narrating the history of Museum. Well it was beyond Antakshari, when the real visit was made.
Few punters, including me tried to fill up the hour and half journey with nostalgic and nasty-logic songs weaponed to counter the patience-test by the Mumbai Traffic. But the reactions were mixed, some were open and others were conscious! Finally we reached where we were supposed to reach, the ‘Lad’ Museum. Again like the school kids we Q-ed ourselves for a headcount. Why I mentioned this! Because it was difficult to order ourselves after ‘order’ overdose in Mandar Sir’s ‘Order’ Module! How individualistically mature we are to discover an order within 45?
Well, after a foody interval we entered the MuseumBuilding. The building was looking rejuvenated from outside, and it was same with interiors and artifacts kept inside. But my eyes were interrogating the Building and the spaces. The architecture hangover still haunts me with the seasoned perspective of seeing everything with Architecture. So like every time, I was seeing this building as ‘artifact’ in the city, rather than seeing the actual artifacts kept inside. I tried to ZOOM in, so I realized that there is some eclectic carving on the walls. Further I realized that the Exhibition is quite ordered which is speaking some sense in presenting the cleaned and juiced artifacts.
On reading Interpretation Panels, I realized that the museum has a collection of art works by students of JJ School through 150 years. The JJ School was opened to promote or in a wayformalize the art education in the region. So it was interesting to see the ‘Globalization’ or ‘influence-exchange’ on the works exhibited.
The first floor was proved more interesting as I was able to interpret a Chronology there. I am more comfortable seeing things with respect to time. I was sensing the Physical and ethnological Evolution of Mumbai. The photograph projection at a dark corner was good enough to take you back in those times when Railroads were introduced in the city. I think it was the most informative of all, may be, it’s a very subjective comment!
My communication skills managed to meet me the Conservation Architect of the restored and rejuvenated Museum. I was curious to know about the Colours used for the Outer Vertical surfaces of the Museum. My notions were poking me to imagine the building as white painted one, rather Pista-Cream combo. But the Architect clarified me the fact of these colours being used through his Historical Pictorial evidences. Still I would be happier if walls are painted White!
Revisiting the visit, I found myself bombed with very variety of questions. Few I was able to discuss it with the Faculty. The questions includes…
- Why we need Museums?
- Do we have to go to a Particular Site! To know History!
- Seeing the Artifact and History as Objects or Experience! [Reference: Prof. KT Lecture, the Story of Stuff, where he discussed the Object vs. Experience, i.e. the transition of our perception]
- Can we have something like a Virtual Interactive Journey! (Come-on! No Websites)
- Again, thinking that what about the sense of visiting things as ‘Artifacts’! How one can replace the real art vs. the FAKE?
- Relating it with the adjacent Chidiyaghar (ZOO)! Which came First?
- Museum + Zoo =???, and Why? Personally I oppose the concept of Zoo! Where people visit see the prisoned lives. How one can see this place as Social or Public? I would prefer to visit a Jail.
- A contemporary sense was missing from the experience. Can we have a Museum of Contemporary Mumbai?
- Or at least a Post-independence Bombay!
And finally I think that will it be worth visiting there again? But why I am questioning?...
Few punters, including me tried to fill up the hour and half journey with nostalgic and nasty-logic songs weaponed to counter the patience-test by the Mumbai Traffic. But the reactions were mixed, some were open and others were conscious! Finally we reached where we were supposed to reach, the ‘Lad’ Museum. Again like the school kids we Q-ed ourselves for a headcount. Why I mentioned this! Because it was difficult to order ourselves after ‘order’ overdose in Mandar Sir’s ‘Order’ Module! How individualistically mature we are to discover an order within 45?
Well, after a foody interval we entered the MuseumBuilding. The building was looking rejuvenated from outside, and it was same with interiors and artifacts kept inside. But my eyes were interrogating the Building and the spaces. The architecture hangover still haunts me with the seasoned perspective of seeing everything with Architecture. So like every time, I was seeing this building as ‘artifact’ in the city, rather than seeing the actual artifacts kept inside. I tried to ZOOM in, so I realized that there is some eclectic carving on the walls. Further I realized that the Exhibition is quite ordered which is speaking some sense in presenting the cleaned and juiced artifacts.
On reading Interpretation Panels, I realized that the museum has a collection of art works by students of JJ School through 150 years. The JJ School was opened to promote or in a wayformalize the art education in the region. So it was interesting to see the ‘Globalization’ or ‘influence-exchange’ on the works exhibited.
The first floor was proved more interesting as I was able to interpret a Chronology there. I am more comfortable seeing things with respect to time. I was sensing the Physical and ethnological Evolution of Mumbai. The photograph projection at a dark corner was good enough to take you back in those times when Railroads were introduced in the city. I think it was the most informative of all, may be, it’s a very subjective comment!
My communication skills managed to meet me the Conservation Architect of the restored and rejuvenated Museum. I was curious to know about the Colours used for the Outer Vertical surfaces of the Museum. My notions were poking me to imagine the building as white painted one, rather Pista-Cream combo. But the Architect clarified me the fact of these colours being used through his Historical Pictorial evidences. Still I would be happier if walls are painted White!
Revisiting the visit, I found myself bombed with very variety of questions. Few I was able to discuss it with the Faculty. The questions includes…
- Why we need Museums?
- Do we have to go to a Particular Site! To know History!
- Seeing the Artifact and History as Objects or Experience! [Reference: Prof. KT Lecture, the Story of Stuff, where he discussed the Object vs. Experience, i.e. the transition of our perception]
- Can we have something like a Virtual Interactive Journey! (Come-on! No Websites)
- Again, thinking that what about the sense of visiting things as ‘Artifacts’! How one can replace the real art vs. the FAKE?
- Relating it with the adjacent Chidiyaghar (ZOO)! Which came First?
- Museum + Zoo =???, and Why? Personally I oppose the concept of Zoo! Where people visit see the prisoned lives. How one can see this place as Social or Public? I would prefer to visit a Jail.
- A contemporary sense was missing from the experience. Can we have a Museum of Contemporary Mumbai?
- Or at least a Post-independence Bombay!
And finally I think that will it be worth visiting there again? But why I am questioning?...
