Impact of Covid-19 on Museums!

Impact of Covid-19 on Museums: May-18-2020
Before arriving at the discussions about the challenges posed by Covid-19 or the 'Impact of Covid-19 on Museums', we need to reason why in itself this domain of "Art" became a theme of concern in the first place??? 

As we all know, that necessity to save something arises, only when one knows its umpteen worth! Right?

In this narration I have discussed, why "Art" is important, in the first place. And secondly where does 'Museums' fall in our efforts of preserving and conserving our culture, and how this eventful Covid-19 scenario pose a critical challenge towards Museums survival.

Art can change opinions, instill values and help translating experiences across space and time; Art is considered to be the repository of society's collective memory, expressed through—"Folk" & "Fine" (there are two forms of Art, Folk: tribal expression and Fine: contemporary expression.)

Art does have a utility ,for the threefold uses it beholds: One- fosters self expression & fulfillment, Two - creation, management & distribution employs many, Three - inspiring Children for the future by the stories of the past it has told.

Where as, the portrayal of the "story" of Bio-Cultural evolution & variation of humankind in time and space is done by 'Museums'.

A Museum acts as a "window" to look into the rich cultural heritage—bestowed upon the present—is no less significant. As it plays a crucial role in preserving the local culture with careful documentation & artifact preservation, so that a culture can be recorded & remembered regardless of its future.

Accordingly, the 'Museum Directorate of India' accommodated three main Sections under its ambit, namely: Art, Archaeology & Anthropology. And within this parent framework, Eight coordinating 'service units' are functional such as— Preservation, Publication, Presentation, Modelling, Education, Library, and Security. Which is in itself depicts the plethora of task with planning  that has been put in so far to make it reach to current level.

But, unfortunately, in this unprecedented event of "Covid-19 pandemic", world over nearly 60,000  Museums are shuttered down. Such a Novel-crisis has presented a tough challenge before the authorities with regard to Protection of invaluable antiquities, Financial issues, Public engagement and last but not the least Safety of Staff.
Amongst all sorts of institutions, 'GLAM' institutions are most badly hit! GLAM: "Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums", and refers to cultural institutions with a mission to provide access to knowledge. GLAM collect and maintain cultural heritage materials in the 'public interest'. As collecting institutions, GLAM preserve and make accessible primary sources valuable for researchers, apart from catering to other educational and aesthetic objectives.

In India, the earliest necessity to house the objects of 'antiquarian remains' dates back to late 1796 CE when the Asiatic Society of Bengal felt the need to house the enormous collection of archaeological, ethnological, geological, zoological pursuits. However, the first museum by them was started in 1814. The nucleus of this Asiatic Society Museum later provided the Indian Museum, Calcutta.

This long period of more than 200 years must have demanded a humongous amount of human efforts (physical, mental and financial) behind collection, storage, preservation, maintenance etc.,of antiques and artefacts of historical significance.

The inception of this idea of scientific examination and collection of artefacts of cultural significant is credited to the first Director-General of 'Archaeological Survey of India', Alexander Cunningham. 

And the idea of "Achaeological Site Museums" was further initiated by the then Director-General Sir John Marshall who conceptualised the establishment of 'ASM' under the 'ASI' in 1905 to display excavated antiquities in the close vicinity of their provenance to empower visitors with comprehensive vision of the site, its context and treasures so that the site as well as the artefacts can be evaluated holistically.

The concept of site museums is well elucidated by Hargreaves, one of the former Director Generals of ASI – ‘it has been the policy of the Government of India to keep the small and movable antiquities, recovered from the ancient sites, in close association with the remains to which they belong, so that they may be studied amid their natural surroundings and not lose focus by being transported’. A separate Museums Branch in ASI was created in 1946 by Sir Mortimer Wheeler.

.After the independence, eventually, the natural momentum was automatically gained by such virtuous exercise of collection, storage and display such totems of cultural significance , and then what!?
There was this spurt in the growth of such site museums in ASI.
At present, there are nearly fifty or so 'Archaeological museums" spreading over the length and breadth of India.

India also boasts of eighteen (18) Tribal Research and Training Institutes which run fourteen (14) "Ethnographic" Museums with a combined collection of nearly 30,000 artefacts such as paintings, ornaments, costumes, hunting and agricultural implements, pottery, toys and religious objects; with each museum having collected artefacts from its own area of activity. Viewed collectively, these artefacts present a unique picture of the diversity and cultural richness of Tribal India. Amongst which Bhopal's "Tribal Village" stands tall, by the virtue of being the host of largest population of tribes situated in Madhya Paresh .
Although there are multitude of institutions that cater to the need of keeping the regional identities intact by recognising the local cultural traditions; "Tribal museums" especially stand out in reassuring us to uphold the virgin ways of tribes and preserving their uniqueness from contamination.

Post World War II, the "Anthropological" concept of culture has started putting  more and more emphasis on "networks"—integrated story of evolution of man and culture with special reference to India—rather than on bounded (localised) entities. Anthropology thereby acquired the distinction of being an instrument of social development. And the best specimens of such a distinction is held by "Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) or Museum of Man-Bhopal", which has resorted to, time and again, a number of strategies to face the "twin challenges" posed to contemporary museums i.e. of 'taking Museums to the communities' and of 'bringing communities to Museums'.

Covid-19 poses a special challenge, as to take down that, none of the Institutions was prepared( marriage, education, entertainment, amusement ,etc.); this sabbatical must not break our spirit of preserving the notion that one's culture must be shared, meant to be known and cared!

We can fight back  this Covid-19 scare effectively and restore the faith in our cause by standing resolute than ever before.
New safety guidelines can come as saviours like: temperature screening of all the visitors, implementing contact tracing measures, ensuring that all visitors wear a mask and maintain social distance, and suspension of large event, etc.,

All these "New  Safety Guidelines" would work wonders during the reopening of museums in a phases manner, provided they are wholeheartedly and strictly implemented and adhered to.

After all, word ”Culture" means a shared pattern of behaviours and interactions—with the contemporary times that has been in tune; & a "Museum" per se is an 'Institution' that curates the best specimens of knowledge from history, to feed the 'Present' with a cultured spoon...

Culture in a way depicts the cognitive constructs and worthy understandings that the 'process of Socialisation' bestowed upon us; & a Museum in fact displays the basic tenets of strengths that has held the evolving societies together, by removing the accumulated temporal dust...

Every structured stable society stands and remains so only when—all are ready to do for one  and one is ready to do for all; this Crisis has made us realise the fundamentals—upon which it is built—by its eventful call!

I hereby reiterate the fact, that Necessity to save something arises, only when one knows its umpteen worth; but when the 'saving of lives' has become paramount, "social distancing" becomes only option by desisting social gathering—the basic instinct of a herd!

18th May is celebrated all over the world by Museums as International Museum Day; let's hear for the undaunted spirit of mankind standing together as saviours of our culture and museums for Equality, Diversity and Inclusions' sake.

-Praveen katiyar