Unique exhibition in Kolkata turns the spotlight on the preservation of rural heritage

In a quest to discover, present and make people aware of the rich rural heritage of Bengal, The AMI Arts Festival by Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC), Indian Museum and Museum Association of West Bengal comes together to host the exhibition – From Fields to Folk: A journey Through Rural Heritage till November 29, 2024. The exhibition is a multi-faceted display of various Museums and Institutional Departments at Indian Museum between 10 am – 6 pm.

The inauguration was held in the presence of distinguished dignitaries including Arijit Dutta Choudhury, Director of Indian Museum, Sachindranath Bhattacharya, President of Paschim Banga Sangrahalaya Samity, Hugh Boylan, Australian Consulate General Kolkata, Pritikana Goswami, Padmashree Awardee Kantha Artist, Sayan Bhattacharya, Deputy Director, Indian Museum, Sushanta Kumar Chakraborty, Vice Chancellor, Vidyasagar University and Richa Agarwal, Chairperson, Kolkata Centre for Creativity.

What was unique during the inauguration was the placement of model boats instead of the traditional lamp lighting. Just the way a boat bridges the gap between the two banks of the river, the exhibition itself chooses to bridge the gap and spread awareness about the past to the present and future generations, making the inaugural moment a perfect metaphor of the objective of the occassion.

Richa Agarwal states at the inauguration ceremony, “KCC has always stood for celebrating the symbiotic relationship between popular and intellectual pursuits. This unique exhibition and seminar at the Indian Museum, while being socially responsible and rooted in empathy and inclusivity, will ignite a dialogue among artisans, academics, and experts. On World Heritage Week (19 – 25 November), we are looking at the most exciting cross-pollination of ideas and creativity as we raise awareness about the India’s rural heritage – both tangible and intangible.”

With over 20 museums participating in this week-long event, visitors can expect to see art and crafts exhibition, panel discussions, photography exhibitions, live folk performances and more. On display are archival records, proto-historic artefacts, utensils made from sugarcane or Areca leaves, Sholapith artefacts and more. Institutions on display include Cooch Behar Archive; PC Mahalanobis Memorial Museum & Archives, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata; Tarar Chhayay: Museum of Memories; Kundarali Purakirti Sangrahashala (Ujjal Sardar’s private collection); Noukoghar by Swarup Bhattacharyya; Museum and Art Gallery, The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture Golpark; Krishnapur Centre for Folklore Studies and Research; Society for Heritage Archaeology and Management; State Archives Department of Higher Education Government of West Bengal; Chalchitra Academy (Khwaabgaon);  Paschimbanga Sangrahalaya Samity;  State Bank of India’s Museum and Archive;  Sundarban Anchalik Sangrahashala;  Botanical Survey of India;  Birla Industrial Technological Museum;  Debolgarh Museum, Debgram Debalraja Puratatwa O Loksanskriti Sangha, Nadia; Department of Archaeology, University of Calcutta; Department of Anthropology,Vidyasagar University;  Museum Department of Geography, University of Calcutta; and Kantha Collection by Padmashree Awardee Preetikana Goswami.

Sachindranath mentions, “The most important idea here is to invent and re-invent. The rural artisans are the real creators and we must preserve their intellectual capabilities, their intellectual properties, and empower them. If we fail to empower them properly then the rural artisans cannot survive. Each and every object here is a time capsule. It speaks a lot about society, economics, mathematics and all subjects. We are trying to focus on the rural regions and the mainstream society must appreciate the creations of the people and the silent preserver of the tradition.”

The exhibition is on till November 29, 2024 at Indian Museum