With its narrow, traffic-laden roads and old buildings, Patna may not immediately come off as a modernist cultural hub. Yet, the Bihar Museum in the heart of the city seeks to prove otherwise with its imposingly beautiful structure built on Japanese architectural principles. Boasting highly interactive and state-of-the-art exhibits and a stellar permanent collection, the museum is hosting the ongoing second edition of the Bihar Museum Biennale, curated by Dr Alka Pande.
The bi-annual arts event, which had its virtual debut in March 2021, will be on till December 31. Says Pandey, “Within these walls, the richness of India’s heritage is vividly portrayed, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the tapestry of the nation’s history.” Focusing on the theme, ‘Connecting People, Connecting Cultures, Interrogating Museums’, the Bihar Museum Biennale 2023 features exhibitions, symposiums, master classes and virtual tours, featuring four Indian museums and multiple international exhibitions from countries like Israel, Nepal and Egypt.
Nepal: Multi-hued Spirituality
At the heart of the display titled Where the Deities Reside comprising 76 artworks lies a massive floor mandala, created with coloured sediments. Its expanse is covered with earthy tones of reds, yellows, greens, blues, browns and pinks to create intricate wheels, vases, victory banners, conch shells and elements of nature that embody the spiritual journey of the soul through many lifetimes. This larger-than-life exhibit sets the tone for the rest of the works on display—paintings, straw art, wood installations, statues that use lost wax and repousse techniques filigreed with semi-precious stone inlay, ceramics and more—as being reflective of the deeply spiritual nature of this country.
“These artworks, through their intricate detail, evoke a sense of sacred beauty and serve various purposes, including veneration, enhancing spiritual aura, and adding aesthetic value to secular spaces,” says curator Swosti Rajbhandari Kayastha. The exhibition, inspired by eastern philosophy, narrates the cyclic creation of the universe following its last destruction. Presented by the Nepal Art Council, the exhibit will be on display till September 7.
THE INDIAN MUSEUMS: Of Treasures Past and Present
Delhi’s Kiran Nadar Museum of Art plays the role of knowledge partner to the biennale to help it attract greater public participation. Two iconic works by Sudarshan Shetty (Taj Mahal is a life-sized steel installation in the shape of the Taj, built with many small replicas) and Subodh Gupta (Cheap Rice, which consists of a waterfall of steel lotas decorating a bicycle) from its collection are on display throughout the duration of the Biennale. Simultaneously, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya has lent a selection of magnificent Tanjore art paintings from its collection for an exhibition titled Three Dimensions of Divinity—Thanjavur Art Revealed and Hyderabad’s Salar Jung Museum is showcasing the work of contemporary artists from Telangana.
COSTA RICA-PANAMA: The Indigenous Touch
Though relatively small in size, the joint exhibition—Songs of the Earth—from two South American nations includes fine examples of Chorotega pottery, an indigenous ceramic tradition of the Guanacaste people of Costa Rica. This delicately patterned art form uses locally available materials such as clay, sand, shells and corn husks and is characterised by its earthy hues of rusts, oranges, browns and dull pinks. Also on display are paintings by Costa Rican artist Raudyn Alfonso Araya, who highlights the cultivation of coffee as a national symbol through a series of vibrant art replete with bold figures painted in a style inspired by cubism.
Panama’s contribution is in the form of Mola textile art, traditionally practised by the Guna people. In it, layers of coloured fabric are stitched, cut and appliqued together to create symmetrical designs. The fabrics are then used for a number of functional purposes such as textiles, bedspreads, wall hangings and more. The exhibit is on till September 7.
RUSSIA: Mysticism on Mark
Sitting in the domed dark theatre that is the Russian exhibit, one is transported to a vibrant animated universe. A doe-eyed, green-skinned woman bears the weight of the world on her head, signified by deadly serpents and fierce feathered creatures to form an unwieldy headdress. Around her, bright and strange shapes come to life as she takes the viewers on a journey to a mystic universe.
Animated films playing within large domes have a certain childlike appeal, and the country’s immersive exhibit titled Mystic Universe 360 helmed by technology company Fulldome Pro, plays on this. In keeping with the theme, the inflatable dome is covered in Hindu religious symbols. Films change frequently, and each one attempts to reveal the secrets of the universe as laid out in Vedic cosmology.
“We want guests to embark on an incredible journey beyond time and space, travelling between the worlds of demigods, humans, gandharvas and apsaras,” says Ekaterina Kosolapova, the curator of the exhibition. “We mixed technology with Vedic values that date back 4,000 years with the intention of inculcating them in the younger generation.” The exhibit is set to travel around the country.