Thiruvananthapuram, July 29, 2011
This museum should evoke the cachet of dance. T. NANDAKUMAR finds out how its architecture will help to achieve that end.
The narrow road suddenly opens up to a massive gateway spanning
the entrance to the Guru Gopinath Natana Gramam at Vattiyurkavu.
The campus, spread over about one hectare of land, is situated in
the middle of a quiet suburban neighbourhood, away from the hustle and bustle
of the capital city. The State-government-sponsored institution is a centre for
learning, training, and research in various Indian dance forms, particularly
Kerala Natanam, the dance form composed by the late Guru Gopinath, a pioneer
reformer of Kathakali.
The sprawling grounds are bare, except for a couple of exposed
brick buildings and a framed concrete structure under construction. By next
year however, the campus will be home to the country's first dance museum.
The proposed National Dance Museum is conceived as a centre for
display, documentation, education, and research on the rich Indian dance
heritage. It has been designed to depict a comprehensive picture of the
evolution of dance in India and the diversity of forms, including folk, classical,
and contemporary styles. The museum is also expected to promote better
awareness of dance among schoolchildren.
The state-of-the-art museum complex has been designed to ensure
that the natural vegetation and serene neighbourhood are not disturbed, says
V.S. Pramod, secretary of the centre. The architecture reflects the distinctive
Kerala style with gables and tiled roof. The museum will feature a 22,000-sq.ft
display area in the form of 11 galleries.
Each 2,000-sq.ft gallery will showcase sculptures of dancing
figures in bronze, stone, terracotta, and wood, illuminated hanging displays,
murals, replicas of rock paintings, and engravings depicting dance. They will
feature descriptions of Indian folk and tribal dances, musical instruments,
costumes and jewellery, models, photographs, paintings, and video footage. The
galleries will be equipped with a multimedia touch-screen kiosk and plasma
display screens.
Apart from collection, preservation and documentation of objects,
the museum will have the role of a venue for education, research, and training.
On the anvil are a host of activities, including school-level programmes for
students and teachers, public lectures and film shows, an extension service
through a mobile museum, temporary exhibitions, publications, and training
sessions on dance.
Museologists, conservation experts, veteran dancers, and
choreographers from across the country participated in the World Dance Forum, a
content-emerging exercise organised by the centre in February to finalise the
contours of the project.
“We have had to start from scratch, as a dance museum is being
established for the first time in the country. The brainstorming session
provided us with a range of options on design, exhibition, preservation, and
allied activities,” Mr. Pramod says.
The Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development
(COSTFORD) has been entrusted with the construction of the buildings for the
museum. P.B. Sajan, Director, COSTFORD, says the buildings has been designed
for maximum utilisation of natural light and ventilation. The entry and exit
are provided at the same point. “We have designed the galleries to ensure that
even without barricades, the visitors do not cross each other's path,” he says.
The complex will feature a sloping roof with filler slabs and
tiles above. The exteriors will sport a brick finish for an earthy look. The
grounds will accommodate a park with benches and seats, a garden, and a parking
lot for vehicles.
“The first phase of the project is almost over. We hope to
complete the work on the museum within a year,” Mr. Pramod says. The
Rs.8.24-crore project is funded by the Union Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
The campus currently accommodates an amphitheatre, an office
building, a Smrithi Mandapam (memorial to Guru Gopinath), an indoor hall for
dance performance, and a research library on Kerala Natanam.
Mr. Pramod says the museum will be equipped with a
state-of-the-art library with books, periodicals, videotapes, reprographic
facilities, and a collection of films on dance.
Another innovative element of the project is a gift shop stocked
with figurines, note cards, books, and artefacts on dance. The museum has plans
to collaborate with universities and other institutions on research projects.
No comments:
Post a Comment