The Department of Arts, Culture and Youth affairs of Bihar hosts the first ever Museum Biennale in Bihar museum, both physical and digital from March 22 to 28, 2021. The biennale promises to bring collections not just from India but across the world in its celebration of culture. It also offers specially curated virtual tours of the participating national and international museums that are to be streamed online as well. It aims to throw light on the significance of museum culture in India and also displays our rich culture and heritage to the world. Dr Alka Pande, project director of the Museum Biennale, mentioned, “As an art historian, I can say that the soul of India, the heart of India in many ways is Bihar, whether it’s Pataliputra or Magadha. Bihar Museum Biennale will be an opportunity to bring out a compendium of the Indian museums, and to celebrate their respective collections, each telling its own story.”
The exhibition is to be inaugurated on March 22 on the auspicious occasion of Bihar Divas in the presence of Mr Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr Anjani Kumar Singh, the Nodal Officer of the Bihar Museum and Advisor to the Chief Minister and Mr Deepak Anand, Director, Bihar Museum and a few select invited dignitaries. The inauguration will follow a 2-days international visual conference. They also have virtual lectures and master classes on art and culture by prominent personalities from India and around the world. The Biennale will also witness participation of eminent personalities like Neil MacGregor, British art historian who will be a key note speaker at the event; Hilary Knight, Director of Digital, Tate Galleries, UK; Dr Souraya Noujaim, Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management Director at Louvre Abu Dhabi; Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Director-General of CSMVS, Mumbai; Javier Baron, Museo del Prado among others.
The event is a matter of pride and prestige for the country as it has never happened before. Speaking about the initiative Honorable Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr. Nitish Kumar said, “Bihar Museum is a cultural hub dedicated to the spirit of enquiry, exploration and creativity of the people of Bihar and the world. The soft power of art and culture has a special space of engagement in our development strategy for Bihar. Bihar Museum Biennale is a step forward to highlight the rich heritage of India and bring alive the extraordinary history of Bihar and also celebrate the cultural narratives from various parts of the world”. Numerous renowned museums in India such as Assam State Museum; Bihar Museum, Patna; City Palace Museum, Udaipur; Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai; Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal; Kanha Museum of Life and Art, MP; Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi; Museo Camera, Gurgaon; Museum of Art & Photography, Bengaluru; Museum of Goa, Panaji; National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi; Piramal Museum, Mumbai; Virasat-e-Khalsa, Anandpur Sahib will be a part of the Biennale along with other international museums.