The BMW Guggenheim Lab recently ended its run in Mumbai, where it was open from December 9, 2012 through January 20, 2013. Organized in collaboration with the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai, the central location of the Lab was on the grounds of the museum in Mumbai’s Byculla neighborhood. Additionally, nearly half of the public programs were held at a network of satellite locations throughout the city, making the Lab available to a wide range of audiences and communities.
The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum is Mumbai’s oldest museum, established in 1872 as the Victoria & Albert Museum, Bombay. The collection showcases the history and cultural development of Mumbai City. The museum’s collection of fine and decorative arts features significant examples of the early modern art practice and craftsmanship. The museum’s restoration project, supported by the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation and completed by INTACH, won UNESCO’s highest award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2005. The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum has launched an extensive exhibition program that showcases major Indian artists and collaborates with international institutions to bring contemporary art into Mumbai’s public spaces. These exhibitions are part of the Museum’s initiative of creating a public forum for dialogue on contemporary urban issues.
Before its stay in Mumbai, the Lab's most recent location was Berlin, where it was open from June 15 through July 29, 2012. Located in the neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg, the Berlin Lab hosted a broad range of events and workshops that encouraged participants to engage directly with their urban environment. Berlin was the second stop on the Lab’s global tour. The mobile laboratory launched in the fall of 2011 in New York’s East Village.
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Photo: UnCommonSense