How Bengaluru’s #MAP is a true showcase of art for the People, by the people

How Bengaluru’s #MAP is a true showcase of art for the People, by the people

Situated in the heart of the city on the bustling Kasturba Road, Bengaluru’s Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) completes a year since opening on February 18 last year. The ethos of the museum has always been to preserve India’s rich legacy of art by democratising art and culture whilst ensuring inclusivity and accessibility to diverse audiences.

In line with this objective, MAP has introduced a new initiative where they make use of their road-facing screen to showcase artwork by new artists. “Involving our community in the arts and culture scene is an important part of making MAP truly inclusive for all. Through our road-facing screen initiative, #AtMAP, we want to engage the Indian art community to directly contribute to art at the museum,” says Shaina Jagtiani, Head of Communications and PR, at MAP.

“Our goal is to celebrate emerging artists and give them a chance to claim their space as well as share their unique ideas and perspectives. As an institution, we recognise our part in fostering the community by providing a platform where talent can be showcased to a larger audience,” she adds.

#AtMAP was started in December 2023, with an inaugural theme, ‘New Year’. Their second theme, in line with MAP’s first anniversary has been ‘Birthdays’, for the months of January and February 2024. As part of this initiative, MAP solicits entries from artists who submit their artwork with a description with their perspective, understanding and interpretation of the theme.

“This description allows us to have a well-rounded appreciation for the works submitted. Post a larger deliberation, shortlisted works are selected to be displayed. However, as we strongly believe that art is subjective, we are actively trying to come up with new ideas to showcase all the works we receive. This can be done through our social media platforms or through our newsletter,” says Shaina.

She further adds that another key aspect they consider are viewers who pass by the museum and look at the screen. Hence, work that would intrigue and resonate with passersby are also chosen.

Thus, #AtMAP is an initiative created to build a community. Through such initiatives, individuals are brought together and encouraged to showcase their talents. “We believe we are a museum for the people and these activities allow individuals to see MAP as a space where they are not only welcome, but also where their artworks are as well. #AtMAP invites our audiences and visitors to connect their craft to the museum. We believe that giving these prompts also allows artists to push the boundaries of their practice to create something unique.”