International Museum Day 2020: Preserving the pandemic memorabilia is no easy feat

Covid-19 and lockdown has compelled museums the world over, to opt for a virtual route. Some are now collecting the pandemic memorabilia. Experts opine if Indian museums should document the impact of the coronavirus here, and how.

With the coffers being hit, museums across the world have been forced to forego, in partial or in full, safekeeping of the past, and focus on the present with an eye towards the future. Reportedly, the Museum of London has asked people to donate objects that reflect their life during the Covid-19 pandemic. From face masks to slippers, documentary evidences have come in various forms. And more than 900 pieces of work have been submitted already to the Covid Art Museum — a virtual gallery created by three advertising creatives from Barcelona — that aims to document life in the lockdown on social media.

Experts working with museums say that both tangible and intangible aspects of the pandemic must get recorded to show how coronavirus impacted India. (Photo: Biplov Bhuyan/HT (For Representational Purposes Only))

In the United States, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is collecting objects including personal protection equipment (PPE) and patients’ illustrations. In India, however, an initiative to archive such materials is yet to be initiated. Sanjib Kumar Singh, archaeologist at the National Museum in Delhi, says museums are pivotal in protecting the culture and experiences of a place. ‘’We must focus on both tangible and intangible aspects of the pandemic when we eventually go out to record how coronavirus impacted India. From masks, PPE kits to thermometers and photos, all will go on to help future generations understand this period,’’ he says.

Gurugram-based Aditya Arya, who has converted a badminton court into a camera museum to showcase the art and science of photography, believes that photographers are the best visual historians and future generations will rely on images as an important source of reference. He has started an initiative called Lockdown Diaries, where people can upload images of their life as it’s being experienced during the pandemic. For what he calls as a means to capture ‘the journal of our times,’ Arya says, “While we are all in isolation and confined to our homes, our lives continue even during this standstill. It is the little things that we have started paying attention to what was formerly an insignificant aspect of our lives. We intend to create an exhibition with prints of such images at Museo Camera, once the things are back to normal.’’

Author Kishwar Desai, however, feels that the time to document the pandemic in India is still at least six months away. Desai, who is the Chairperson of The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust that set up The Partition Museum in Amritsar, opines, “To ask people to donate to the museums for documentation may come across as insensitive at the moment as the wound [of battling the coronavirus] is still fresh for many. It’s also impractical to an extent during the lockdown.’’ But, Desai does accord great significance to the oral history that can be preserved at this point in time. “Individuals can record their experiences in a diary, or videos, which can later become a part of the metanarrative of any museum. And these voices must come from all strata of the society; from migrants to NGOs to ordinary citizens who have responded to this crisis in different ways,” Desai adds.

Adwaita Gadanayak, director general of National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), concurs with Desai’s sentiment and says that he isn’t sure of how the pandemic is going to permanently affect museums. He elaborates: “We are in touch with different artists who are working under adverse conditions during the lockdown. NGMA is also taking the virtual route to digitise various documents. But, two things are for certain — People are not coming back to our brick and mortar buildings for a while, and we will have to rethink our long and short term strategies.’’

Author tweets @bhagat_mallika

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