Google Cultural Institute Makes Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum's Treasures Accessible to People Across the Globe

In its endeavour to bring India’s rich culture and  heritage to the world, the Google Cultural Institute and Mumbai’s Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum have joined hands. People from around the world will now be able to experience online 200+ highlights from this rare collection of early art and design practices from the late 18th to early 20th centuries as well as contemporary art exhibitions displayed at the Museum. The exhibits showcased at the museum include pieces carved from ivory such as Radha Krishna, a diorama of Emperor Jehangir on a lion hunt, and a painting of a court scene from 1928 by renowned artist M.V. Dhurandhar (who studied at the J. J. School of Art in the late 19^th century). Available online are also the contemporary art exhibitions displayed at the museum, specially curated virtual exhibits, Museum View and many other treasures of the Museum, all just a few clicks away, on google.com/culturalinstitute

Get up close with ultra-high resolution images

Featured artefact, the Radha Krishna carved in ivory can now be viewed in never-before-seen definition thanks to the Google Cultural Institute’s zoom features. Users can explore it in extraordinary detail and experience it far beyond what is visible to the naked eye, such as the ornaments on the figures.

Virtual tour with Museum View

In order to get a better view of the Museum and its artefacts, the Google Cultural Institute offers a 360-degree tour with the Museum View feature. With it, people can explore the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum virtually, selecting works that interest them and clicking to discover more or diving into the high resolution images, where available.

A specially-designed Museum View ‘Trolley’ took 360 degree images of selected galleries which were then stitched together, enabling smooth navigation of the six galleries within the Museum including the Industrial Arts Gallery, the 19^th Century Paintings Gallery and the Kamalnayan Bajaj Mumbai gallery.

Digital Exhibitions

Specially curated virtual exhibitions have been developed for online visitors to discover interactive online experiences from the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum. These virtual  exhibitions tell the story of the restoration and revitalisation of the Museum, as well important contemporary art shows like “7000 Museums: A Project for the Republic of India” by Atul Dodiya and the “ZegnArt Public/India” artwork by Reena Kallat. 

Some of the most important items of the online exhibitions are:

Images of the Museum before and after restoration

Object installations in Vitrines by artist Atul Dodiya

Images of the installation on the Museum’s façade by artist Reena Kallat

Amit Sood, Director, Google Cultural Institute said, “The mission of the Cultural Institute is to make the world’s heritage accessible for global audiences and to preserve it digitally for generations to come. It is our privilege to help iconic Indian institutions such as Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum to exhibit their rich collections online using the power of technology. Through this project we hope to preserve and breathe new life into cultural treasures around the world.”

Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Hon. Director and Managing Trustee of the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of the Museum’s partnership with the Google Cultural Institute. Through this initiative, Mumbai’s oldest museum’s collection and exhibitions will now be accessible to people around the world who do not have the opportunity to travel and visit the Museum.”

About the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum

The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum was established in 1872 as the erstwhile Victoria and Albert Museum, Bombay. As Mumbai’s oldest Museum, it was the first colonial building to be built as a museum with an extensive collection focused on art and design. The collection represents India's engagement with early modernism and includes new forms of visual culture and documentation through miniature clay models, dioramas, maps, lithographs, photographs, rare books, industrial and decorative arts that document the life of the people of Mumbai and the history of the city from the late 18th to early 20th centuries. The recently restored Museum has augmented its permanent collection with new acquisitions, to create a comprehensive representation of the city’s art and culture from the 19th century onwards.

The Museum, once in a derelict condition, underwent a comprehensive five-year restoration by INTACH supported by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation. The project won UNESCO’s international Award of Excellence for cultural conservation in 2005.

The Museum has conceived an extensive exhibition programme with a strong focus on contemporary art and design. A series of curated exhibitions called 'Engaging Traditions', invites artists to respond to the Museum’s collection, history and archives. Several distinguished contemporary artists have participated in this programme such as Sudarshan Shetty, Jitish Kallat, Atul Dodiya, L. N. Tallur, Ranjini Shettar, Sheba Chhachhi, CAMP, Thukral and Tagra. The Museum has also partnered with several international institutions for collaborative exhibitions. It has an extensive education and outreach programme and has become an important cultural hub in the city.

For further information, log on to www.bdlmuseum.org  |   Like us   |   Follow us

About Google Cultural Institute

The Google Cultural Institute and its partners are putting the world’s cultural treasures at the fingertips of Internet users and are building tools that allow the cultural sector to share more of its diverse heritage online. The Google Cultural Institute has partnered with more than 1000 institutions, giving a platform to over 215,000 artworks and more than 6 million photos, videos, manuscripts and other documents of art, culture and history.

For further information, log on to https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/about/