In its attempt to make the world’s heritage accessible to global audiences on the web, the Google Cultural Institute on Thursday added the Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum, Mumbai’s oldest and India’s third-oldest such institution, to its global gallery.
With this, people around the world will be able to experience online over 200 highlights from the museum’s rare collection of early art and design practices from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries, as well as contemporary art exhibitions held at the museum.
The museum has in its collection pieces including a Radha-Krishna sculpture carved in ivory, a diorama of Mughal emperor Jehangir on a lion hunt and a 1928 painting of a court scene by renowned artist MV Dhurandhar.
Users will now be able to see the museum’s collection up close with ultra high definition resolution through Google’s zoom features. The Google Cultural Institute also offers a 360-degree tour with the Museum View feature which allows users to select works that interest them and zoom into them for a better look.
The virtual tour will enable smooth navigation into six galleries within the museum, including the industrial arts gallery, the 19th century paintings gallery, and the Kamalnayan Bajaj art gallery.
To make the experience interactive, the Google Cultural Institute will feature specially-curated virtual exhibitions. Users will be able to see the story of the museum’s restoration and revitalisation as well as important contemporary art shows like Atula Dodiya’s ‘7,000 Museums: A project for the Republic of India’ and Reena Kalat’s artwork ‘ZegnArt Public/India”.
Google Cultural Institute director Amit Sood said, “It is our privilege to help iconic Indian institutions such as the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum to exhibit their rich collections online using the power of technology.”
