Cultural corridor in Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam to show heritage from G20 nations
The display will include physical and virtual exhibitions, creating an immersive experience for the visitors
From the pages of Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, a 6th to 5th century BCE treatise on Sanskrit grammar from India, to the United Kingdom’s Magna Carta issued in 1215; from the Charter of Freedom in the United States to a Fahua-lidded jar from China; and from the Mona Lisa displayed at the Louvre in France to the Gutenberg Bible from Germany, a section of the venue for the G20 Leaders’ Summit will amalgamate iconic masterpieces and artwork from 29 countries, some physical, some digital, providing an artistic background to the G20 summit.
Spread over a sprawling 10,000 sq feet area with alcoves and widescreen displays on the second floor of the Bharat Mandapam in Central Delhi, where India is set to host the summit, the so-called culture corridor will capture different traditions from 29 countries, including India (the G20 and special invitees).
The display will include physical and virtual exhibitions, creating an immersive experience for the visitors.
The displays are broadly categorised as Object of Cultural Significance (as a physical display), Iconic Cultural Masterpiece (as a digital display), Intangible Cultural Heritage (as a digital display), Natural Heritage (as a digital display), and an Artefact Related to Democratic Practices (as a physical or digital display), officials familiar with the matter said.
It will feature world renowned artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Vermeer (Girl with a Pearl Earring), and significant cultural symbols, including a performance on loan from the UK — of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Hamlet. The traditional Russian outfit, Kashkha, will also be on physical display, as will the Apollo Belvedere, a sculpture dating back to the second century by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli (from Italy). Mrs. Ples, the common name for a 2.5 to 2.8 million years-old fossil skull that was discovered in the Sterkfontein Caves in South Africa, will also be on display.
Among the natural heritage on display will be the Grand Canyon (US), the Himalayas and the Ganga (India) and Baikal Lake from Russia. India’s intangible heritage on display will include the Bhimbetka cave paintings, Yoga, the Kumbh mela, Vedic chanting, Chola bronzes and Patan Patola weaving.
The US Charter of Freedom, which includes the Declaration of Independence, American Constitution and Bill of Rights, is a part of an exhibition titled Mother of Democracy, in which participating countries have focused on one key milestone in their democratic journey. India has submitted an original entry from the Rig Veda, which outlines the spirit of Vasudev Kutumbhakam (the world is one), which also happens to be its theme for G20.
A three-dimensional immersive experience will feature four fifteen-minute screenings in a 90ft by 20ft U-shaped screen.
“The idea is to provide a 360-degree view of art from across the countries to the visitors,” an official familiar with the matter said, on condition of anonymity.
The corridor will be open to the dignitaries attending the summit through the day.
The artefacts, on loan for four months, will also be open for public viewing once the G20 summit is over, though the government is yet to finalise the guidelines for their showing.