Mumbai International Airport to celebrate International Museum Day 2017

This is for the first time that such a unique initiative will be taken by any international airport within its premises.

Organized annually on May 18 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), this initiative is a collective effort by museum communities across the globe to raise awareness about the significant role that museums have played in the shaping and development of societies.

Drawing inspiration from this year’s theme of "Museums and contested Histories: Saying the unspeakable in Museums”, MIAL has planned a host of activities for travelers which will include workshops, tours, and folk/traditional musical performances. Through this initiative, the airport aims to apprise passengers about India’s unheard legacies, narratives, historical background and facilitate cultural exchanges amongst travelers transiting through the city.

In addition to this, with the objective of fostering an interest in India’s multicultural legacy through artistic expression, well-known artists and architects from the city will engage with students to enlighten them about the fusion of art and architecture in the context of India’s rich culture and history. The Jaya He Museum previously conducted an educational outreach programme by hosting 200 school students, in the 12-14 year age group, from across the city.

During the week, the airport has also arranged a ‘museum safari’ for travelers and passengers, reiterating the airport’s commitment in this direction.

The program entails a brief 15-minute tour of the various artifacts and installations across four levels at the airport. This initiative will give travellers a chance to get a glimpse of the country’s rich cultural heritage, by giving them an opportunity to view over 7000 artworks, created by 100s artists and artisans from across India. Travellers will also get an opportunity to indulge in some lip smacking regional delicacies from Kerala and Kashmir at select locations, offered free of cost while they get a visual treat of the exquisite artworks.

Under the patronage of the Jaya He art initiative, The Jaya He Museum Store at T2 will provide a platform to Indian artist, craft persons and designers to showcase their creativity and proficiency. On this occasion, the store is bringing to the forefront award winning artists to exhibit their work.

These include renowned names Trilok Soni, Rabindra Behera, Dr. Ismail Khatri, Kalyan Joshi, Kapil Jangid, Kamini Kaushal, D.Vaikuntam, Sukhnandi Vyam & Rajesh Vangad  who have been conferred with National/State Award for Pichwai, Pattachitra, Ajrakh printing, Phad painting, Sandal wood carving,  Madhubani on Papermache , Cherial scroll painting, wood carving and Warli respectively, to name a few.

The Jaya He Museum was conceptualized as an extension of the uniquely Indian aesthetic of the Terminal 2, where modern technologies fuse seamlessly with traditional knowledge. The many-layered narrative is a multi-disciplinary exhibition of the various facets of Indian arts and crafts, showcasing the techniques of artisans from different regions of the country. The various artifacts and installations were curated with the view to distil and interpret the spirit of India, offering visitors a quintessential reception to Mumbai, and India at large.

In 2016, more than 35,000 museums in close to 145 countries participated in ICOM’s International Museum Day.