Museologist George Jacob has designed and set up museums on myriad themes in 11 countries during his 24-year career. His passion for India's living heritage and cultural wealth makes him a keen advocate of museums to preserve, conserve, and showcase the social, cultural, and artistic wealth of the country. An alumnus of the Birla Institute of Technology, he did his internship at the Smithsonian, and specialised in museum studies at the University of Toronto and Yale School of Management. Author of the books, Museum Design: The FUTURE, and Exhibit Design: The FUTURE, George is enthusiasm personified when he visualises a world-class museum in India that exhibits any or many of the treasures that India has by way of a living tradition in areas as diverse as textiles, music, dance, sports or history. He was in the city Thiruvananthapuram for a talk on ‘Global trends in museum design,' at Alliance Francaise, organised by Shangri-lla art gallery.
Excerpts from an interview...
What is your opinion on the treasure trove that has been discovered in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram?
The unveiling of the temple treasure offers an unprecedented opportunity for a museum of the Millennium – an institution unparalleled in its conception, inception, significance, and global presence. The process needs to be handled professionally with clear terms of reference adhering to best practices in museum planning, design, installation, and project execution. While taking inventory of the treasures within the vaults is a first step in the process, it needs to be followed by an assessment of premise, provenance, antiquity, and condition reports that will provide the basis for functional planning, and establishing the framework for recommendation towards the museum precinct and masterplan. Having a professional, experienced, culturally sensitive, museum planner on-board, advising and steering the process internally prior to engaging consultants, contractors and vendors, would only be prudent. The museum has the potential to raise the bar of excellence given the sheer magnitude of the treasures that could potentially go on display.
What about security aspects given the fact many of our artefacts have disappeared from museums?
This is the opportunity to raise the bar. In fact, like the treasure of King Tut, some of the exhibits must be assembled for a travelling exhibition. That would be India's best step forward in cultural diplomacy. It would make a statement about enhancing the country's presence and reinforcing faith in our living tradition.
What about the Muzris project?
That again is a good example that calls for the services of an experienced museologist. I have visited the sites and I feel the artefacts recovered should be displayed with relevant information about the objects. Did you know that Muziris is a corrupted version of Moonu chiriyulla sthallam? It referred to the shape of the port.
The serpent-shaped narrow chundan vallams rowed by hundreds of oarsmen were used as tugs to push huge merchant ships into the sea. These are stories that need to be told so that we know our heritage and can take pride in it.
How did you take become interested in museology?
I had a lot creative interests such as painting and sculpture. That led to the science of museums.
But many youngsters in India tend to see museums as boring places...
All over the world, there are museums on various subjects such as tea, chocolate, insects.. the list is endless. Unfortunately in India, we have not tapped the potential of museums to educate, entertain, and conserve our legacy.
A museum is a place to collectively appreciate your own culture, history, and aesthetics.
For instance, we could have a museum on the sari, the largest and most popular unstitched garment in the world, or on religious practices, movies, cricket... so many stories are waiting to be told. There is contemporary history, current living tradition....
Where is a museum we could learn about the valorous kings of erstwhile Travancore, be inspired by Marthanda Varma, learn about the architects of our State?
Does it perturb you to see so much of our heritage being destroyed even now? All over Kerala, heritage building are being replaced by concrete and glass structures... What is the remedy to stop this?
Yes, it is painful. The only way to put to a stop to this is to be sensitive and raise awareness among the middle class so that they get to see how other countries preserve their heritage.
Advocacy has to come from the political leadership or the State must have a museum policy that ties four departments – the departments of tourism, education, commerce and archaeology.
The museum policy should not be in isolation and these departments must speak in a cohesive voice for cultural preservation.
Builder of museums
Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans, the first huge tourist attraction project to be inaugurated after Hurricane Katrina.
Founding director of three museums, including the $30 million NASA-Ames funded Astronomy & Cultural Centre, project director for the production of the Star Spangled Banner (the 1812 flag that inspired the American National Anthem) permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington DC.
