What will the museum of the future look like?

The second edition of the Bihar Museum Biennale will define the museum of the future as a dynamic interactive space

- Avantika Bhuyan

There seems to be a lot happening in the world of museums these days—from rare displays and opening up of new spaces to a showcase of newer narratives, and, of course, political controversies surrounding collections. While the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is going back in history to put together one of the largest displays of ancient Buddhist art, the Design Museum in London has announced a new exhibition tracing the journey of a contemporary iconic object—the skateboard.

There is also a greater focus on accessibility, as closer home, the Akshaya Kumar Maitreya Heritage Museum at the North Bengal University has introduced Braille script for the visually-impaired visitors. Moreover, museums are no longer being looked at as repositories of art and culture; rather they are paving the way for a dialogue on sustainability and energy conservation within the arts space. For instance, the Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, was recently awarded the ISO certificate in recognition of its energy-saving practices.