PUTTING ART ON THE MAP

With an iconic design by Mathew & Ghosh Architects, the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) intends to be a catalyst of change that traces relationships between artistic disciplines

- Kashish Kaushal

Project: Museum of Art & Photography, Bengaluru; Architects: Mathew & Ghosh Architects

In a world that practically lives and breathes on the internet, museums and art galleries act as guardians of our collective memory, ensuring that future generations can learn and appreciate art, our diverse cultures, traditions, and histories. Situated in Bengaluru, MAP plays on the tensions between the idea of collecting, collating, containing and storing which, according to its architects, Nisha Mathew-Ghosh and Soumitro Ghosh of Mathew & Ghosh Architects, is the fodder for curatorship and engagement with communities. While a museum often instantly becomes the symbol of a city, region, or country due to its iconic built structure, what is imperative is that they are designed in a way that attracts the visitors to the exhibits inside.

With a varied collection of art, photography, textiles, and design, from the Indian subcontinent, the Museum of Art and Photography breaks free from old artistic disciplines and strives towards a state-of-the-art idea of narrative building. The brainchild of philanthropist and collector Abhishek Poddar, the five-storey building engulfs 44,000 sq ft and includes a multimedia library, a 130-seat auditorium, a five-dining restaurant on the terrace, a library housing extensive research material on Indian art and culture, and a research and conservation centre for the maintenance of artworks, in addition to extensive gallery spaces for temporary and permanent exhibitions.