ABHISHEK & RADHIKA PODDAR

THESE BENGALURU-BASED ART PATRONS AND INDUSTRIALISTS SHARE THEIR DEEPEST THOUGHTS ABOUT THEIR DREAM ART PROJECT, THE CITY'S NEWEST CULTURAL HUB, AND THE HOPES THEY HAVE FOR INDIA'S EVOLVING ART AUDIENCE

- NAYARE ALI

The opening of the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru is one of the biggest bits of news in the industry today. Set to star among the city’s best and newest cultural spaces, this sprawling five-storey museum will encompass everything from art galleries to an auditorium, a sculpture courtyard, library and even a café. And the creative minds behind this ambitious project are Abhishek and Radhika Poddar.

Art patrons and industrialists, this husband-wife duo conceptualised MAP with the aim to make it Bengaluru’s cultural anchor, with design elements like the use of stainless steel panels on the facade depicting a metaphorical reference to not only the city’s colonial past but also the importance of art and its capacity to inspire society and culture to reflect and evolve.

In conversation with the Poddars, HELLO! delves deeper into the concept.

How did you come up with this concept of a private museum in Bengaluru?
AP: Around 15 years or so ago, several museums in the West began to approach me, wanting to borrow artworks for exhibitions or looking for donations to their collections. And while this was exciting for me, as it showed that institutions abroad were looking at India more seriously, it also bothered me. I realised I had the opportunity to do something about it. That’s how the idea of MAP was born.

I’ve had the privilege of growing up surrounded by art, and I now had a chance to provide others with the same opportunity. I also strongly believe that private citizens and enterprises need to work proactively towards bettering the cultural landscape, instead of only waiting for the government to act. Art has the capacity to change mindsets, and museums have an important role as agents of positive change.