The Hybrid Museum: Is it a Solution for a Sustainable Tomorrow?

The topic of Hybrid Museums was covered and reviewed in an Online Panel Discussion, organized especially on the occasion of International Museum Day, 18th May 2021 by Dronah Foundation, India, Habitat Centre, The Bihar Museum in partnership with UNESCO, New Delhi. The panel comprised of eminent persons from the field including Dr. Alka Pande, Mr. Eric Falt, Mr. Subrata Nath, Dr. Venu Vasudeva, Mr. Anjani Kumar Singh, Dr. Gulhem Andre and Dr. Shikha Jain. Dr. Jain, Consultant, MMCF, Director, Dronah Foundation, cited the example of The City Palace Museum, Udaipur in her talk; of the Hybrid model that it adopted at an early stage of the pandemic with virtual walkthroughs at the very start of the lockdown and several activities in due course, in addition to physical opening up of the Museum in the interim.

Recording of the session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPWeENnafAI&t=472 1sImage

Zootopia-2021

Zootopia; a national level open design competition for designing a zoo interpretation in India, was jointly organized by NITI Aayog, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, and Central Zoo Authority, with the support of Union Bank of India. A series of webinars were organized around the topic. Webinar 5, held on 22nd May 2021, dealt with Heritage and Nature Interpretation in Zoos. The speakers included Dr. Neel Kamal Chapagain, Dr. Shikha Jain and Mr. Siddhanjan Ray Chaudhuri. Dr. Shikha Jain, Consultant, MMCF, Director, Dronah Foundation, spoke about the culture component and its inclusion in zoo interpretation, with a mention of Indian Royal Families under the aegis of which several Museums, Zoological or botanical gardens in India were started during British phase. Their narratives indicate an understanding of nature and its elements; they held close bonds with elephants, horses and other animals, practiced hunting with restraint and believed in sustaining forests for a balanced ecosystem. Citing The City Palace Museum, Udaipur as an example of a Living Heritage Museum, she referred to the age old custom of Ashwa Poojan or worship of the horse, and the Royal Stables still being maintained at the Museum. Gallery displays too shed light on the importance of the animal and its association with royal rituals, as highlighted by Dr. Jain.

Recording of the session: https://youtu.be/uftR32JO5s8v

An International Virtual Conference on Museums, 2021 (IVCoM 2021) was organized by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) - Pakistan and Kumid - Turkey in collaboration with ICOM NCs, CSOs, and Universities from 32 countries, to commemorate International Museum Day, 18th May 2021. Several countries from across the globe presented their case studies during the course of this conference. ICOM India representatives included Mr. Siddhantt Shah, Dr. Suruchika Chawla, Dr. Aparajita Sharma and Ms. Chelsea Santos. The panel presentation was held on 20th May 2021, on the topic Future of Museums and role of Technology: Roadmap to rediscover Accessible Museum Engagement for All. The session was moderated by Mr. Siddhantt Shah. Assistant Curator, Ms. Chelsea Santos spoke about the several initiatives undertaken at The City Palace Museum, Udaipur with regards to access and engagement, both within the Museum premises and on its virtual platforms.

Getty Grant to attend ICOM-CC Beijing International Conference 2021

Ms. Anuja Mukherjee, Art Conservator, received the prestigious Getty Grant to attend the virtual ICOM-CC Beijing International Conference 2021, held from 17th - 21st May 2021. The theme for this year was 'Transcending Boundaries: Integrated Approaches to Conservation'. As a delegate, Ms. Mukherjee was provided access to a series of presentations by Museum professionals and experts from across the globe, as also previously published papers, articles and recorded presentations.