THE ARTIST AND THE STATUTE

The Constitution has been a source of inspiration to artists, starting with the group led by Nandalal Bose who illustrated its pages to contemporary visual arts practitioners whose works fill the Constitution Museum and other galleries

- Avantika Bhuyan

At the Constitution Museum in Sonipat, Haryana, the main aim is to connect people from all walks of life with the document that unites us as a republic. Intertwined with audio-visual presentations and panels of information about the drafting of the Constitution are works of contemporary art inspired by what lies within the document's pages.

For a society still struggling with pervasive inequality, the principles enshrined within the Constitution-and the vision of the people who helped draft and illustrate it-remain as relevant as ever. These are reminders to reflect on our personal and political lives and strive as citizens to uphold the rights of the self and for society at large.

Anjchita Nair, curator of the museum, which opened in November at O.P. Jindal Global University, spent over six months connecting the dots between master artist Nandalal Bose, who led the team that handpainted the original Constitution document, and contemporary artists whose work contemplates the current state of the republic.

Nair sent out copies of the Constitution to over 30 contemporary artists, and asked them to respond to the illustrated pages of the original document that reflect the plans of a young nation for a future based on justice and equality while drawing inspiration from 5,000 years of history. The result: interesting juxtapositions throughout the space.

You can see magnified panels showing the ornate borders of the Constitution in gold-speckled Talapatra design. Bose and his students combined Japa nese methods and traditional Indian art, inspired particularly by the Ajanta murals. In another part of the space, you can see The Frame, crafted by artisans from Jaipur using black marble.