New York, Oct 13 (PTI) The prestigious MetropolitanMuseum of Art here will receive a "meaningful gift" from theReliance Foundation to fund several exhibitions that exploreand celebrate the arts of India, the museum said.
The first exhibition to benefit from this gift was thisfall's Modernism on the Ganges: Raghubir Singh Photographs,that opened at The Met Breuer on Wednesday, it said.
The gift promised by the founder of the organisation,Nita and Mukesh Ambani, will support a range of exhibitionsexamining the accomplishments and influence of the arts andartists of India across time and in all media, it said.
"This is an outstanding commitment that will have adirect impact on The Met and the exhibitions it presents toits millions of yearly visitors," said Daniel H Weiss,President and CEO of The Met.
"As a global institution, we are devoted to studying anddisplaying art from every corner of the world, which is madepossible only through the generosity of our friends. Nita andMukesh Ambani are truly visionary benefactors, and we areenormously grateful for this meaningful gift," he added.
The focus of the remaining exhibitions that will benefitfrom this sponsorship will range from early Buddhist art fromthe 1st century BC to 4th century AD to 17th century Mughalart to contemporary Indian sculpture, it added.
"India has a rich heritage of art and culture that can betraced back to the 3rd-4th century BC. At Reliance Foundation,it has been our ongoing mission to recognise and promote thisvaluable tradition by offering opportunities and platforms forIndian art locally in India and at various institutions aroundthe globe," said Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson ofReliance Foundation.
"This partnership with The Met enables Indian art to beshown at an iconic institution and further encourages us tocontinue our work in the art world. We are truly delighted tobe part of this long term collaboration. We believe this willprove to be a wonderful partnership for learning and sharingthat will go a long way for art in India," she added.
Art from the Indian sub-continent has been collected byThe Met from 1891. The holdings include sculpture, painting,textiles, photographs, and various other media from 2500 B.C.
to modern times, documenting the rich cultural heritage of thesub-continent, it added.
The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around theworld for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum livesin three iconic sites in New York City-The Met Fifth Avenue,The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. PTI AMS AKJAMS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.