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Dr. Alka Pande’s ‘108 Portraits’ Book Collection Launches

The set of books features historical, cultural, and visual exploration of subjects ranging from Objects, Dance, Food, Architecture, Printmaking, Crafts, and Music to Photography, Sculpture, Design, Traditional Art, Textiles, Modern & Contemporary Art, and Vernacular & Indigenous Art…reports Asian Lite News

Art historian and curator Dr. Alka Pande has written a set of 14 collectable books titled “108 Portraits of Indian Culture and Heritage” that puts the spotlight on 14 disciplines ranging from art, architecture, objects, crafts, and more. The immersive collection set is an encyclopedic work looking at the development and history of Indian visual culture through various eras of history to the contemporary world.

Complete with anecdotal personal stories, the author has employed the lens of Indian art and aesthetics to unpack the rich cultural history of the country’s illuminating art, architecture, and cultural landscape. The subject of each book unfolds in a visual and textual story of 108 narratives. Since the number 108 is of immense significance in Indian art and it also emerges from the Upanishadic tradition of Indian philosophy, it has emerged as a connecting thread among the set of books through which images and histories of the subject engage with each other.

Each book begins with a personal story by the author who reflects on how her childhood impressions and exposure have been pivotal in introducing her to the rich and myriad cultures of India. She reminiscences about her first brush with ‘Kumhaars’ (potters) at her maternal grandmother’s house in Meerut in the ‘108 Portraits of Indian Crafts’ book which soon delves deeper into the beauty of glazed pottery of the Indus Valley Civilisation and eventually takes readers through the craftsmanship of varied Indian states.

In the book ‘108 Portraits of Indian Objects’, the author delves into the designs of utilitarian objects and examines how they are both functional and pieces of aesthetic art. The ubiquitous pot or lota is a recurring motif in this book.

The cultural significance of food in the form of prasad, customs, or rituals is documented in ‘108 Portraits of Indian Food’. The reader is taken through a journey of food in literature, and painting before taking a deep dive into examining the broader culture of food across the globe. Archaeology of raw and cooked food is looked at, and the reader gets inside the heart of royal kitchens and regional Indian cuisines before illuminating the modern version of fusion cuisines.

Indian textiles have a long, rich, and layered history. The reader is taken on a fascinating exploration of the complex warp and weft techniques in ‘108 Portraits of Indian Textiles’ but also delineates costume styles. Finer points of draped clothing and the stitched costumes of stylish ‘Chooridars’ and Mughal Angrakhas, luxurious silks and cotton, natural pigments and dyes, brocades, and zardozi, complemented with a finely curated selection of visuals of ancient sculptures, paintings, and textiles are discussed.

In ‘108 Portraits of Indian Music’, various styles including the contributions of Amir Khusro to qawwali; Swami Haridas and Tansen to dhrupad; ancient Sanskrit and Tamil treatises, Purandaradasa, and the renowned “Trinity” to Carnatic music; Pandit Bhatkhande’s treatise on Hindustani classical music; and Rabindra Sangeet are discussed. This fascinating story is richly complemented by descriptions and images of performers and instruments.

“Indian culture and heritage are vast, diverse, and deeply rooted in history, spirituality, traditions, and art forms. Attempting to encapsulate the entirety of Indian culture within a single book has indeed been a monumental task. But it has equally been enriching to see how the set of 14 books encapsulates the enriching historical and contemporary journey of each discipline succinctly. This set of books is my humble attempt to create an encyclopedia for each discipline to help readers understand the development of a particular subject from its beginning to the present,” says the author who was at the recently held Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival.

Additionally, each book comes with a takeaway –it could be in the form of a recipe (Food), a masterclass in making your Jama (Textile), or an insightful read on different types of Aipan and creating your own (Traditional Art). The idea of including these nuggets of information and activities at the end of each book is to drive engagement and learning.

The books have been published by the Artshila Trust and will be launched on February 18.

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Museums into dynamic spaces for engaging people

Stressing that even those unfamiliar with Bihar’s wonders will feel connected to the living ecosystem it represents, she adds that the aim is to make the museum a captivating and inclusive space that invites everyone to be a part of this enriching journey…writes Sukant Deepak

While the first edition of Bihar Museum Biennale (BMB) began as a virtual one in 2021, raising crucial concerns about museums: display, content, merchandising, scenography and technology challenges, the forthcoming BMB II, scheduled to open on August 7, aims to explore future possibilities, turning museums into dynamic spaces for engaging people of all ages.

“The goal of the museum biennale is to transform the museum into a vibrant, interactive and experiential space. We don’t want visitors to simply observe objects and artifacts of the past; we want them to gain insight into the present and their origins through direct exchanges with art objects. We want the Bihar Museum as well as the biennale to create an ecosystem where people share experiences and emotions,” Alka Pande, Chief Curator and Artistic Producer of BMB, tells.

Conceived by Anjani Kumar Singh, the Director General of Bihar Museum in Patna considering Bihar has been at the forefront of museums in post-independent India, Pande recalls the conversation when she suggested a major event related to the concerns of museums.

“I simply loved the idea and we decided to do the BMB, which is arguably is the first museum biennale in the world,” says the recipient of the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.

Talk to Pande about the fact that that Bihar Museum is perhaps the best public museum created in post-independent India and she says the vision is to create a museum that goes beyond lofty ideas and high art.

Considering the fact that museums have traditionally been perceived as spaces of antiquities, the curator says the team’s vision at BMB is to reimagine them as dynamic and experiential institutions and envision future museums as laboratories of ideas, places that generate knowledge systems, and foster cultural exchange.

“At BMB, we strive to create a space where culture comes alive, and meaningful dialogues between objects and viewers occur,” says this consultant art advisor and curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the India Habitat Centre in the national capital.

Instead of being static repositories of artifacts, they aim to transform museums into immersive experiences. Through interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations, and engaging activities, the effort is to precipitate visitors to actively participate in the journey of discovery.

“We believe that museums should be more than just a place to observe; they should be catalysts for learning and inspiration,” adds Pande, whose major fields of interest are gender identity and sexuality, and traditional arts.

Mention the sorry state of most public museums in the country — lacking interesting programming, and displays and a certain aversion to involving the community at large unlike their counterparts abroad, and she opines that in order to reverse the same, increased financial support from the government and private donors is crucial and that investing in training and development for museum professionals can also elevate the quality of exhibits and programs.

“Furthermore, streamlining administrative processes and adopting a more progressive approach to museum management can foster a culture of innovation and community involvement. By recognising the potential of museums as educational and cultural hubs, India can take significant strides towards enhancing its public museums and providing enriching experiences for its citizens and visitors alike.”

This edition offers programming, featuring not only Indian museums and independent artists but also contributions from various countries, including Nepal, Russia, Israel, Costa Rica and Panama.

“We have joined hands with Indian museums — The CSMVS is showcasing a rich tapestry of Tanjore art paintings and Salar Jung Museum is highlighting the culture of Telangana through contemporary artworks. In addition, we have the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art as our knowledge partner, with whom we have designed an outreach plan that aims to enhance the scope of public accessibility to art and museum culture through the tool of engagement and interaction,” says the art curator and writer, who is currently working on a set of 14 books portraying the history of India’s rich visual culture through 108 portraits.

“These books take an incisive look into India’s rich cultural repository of cultural identity, heritage and craftsmanship through the lens of craft, objects, architecture, dance, indigenous art, vernacular etc.,” she concludes.

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