Abhishek Poddar Collector, Entrepreneur and the Mind

Behind Museum of Art and Photography

A wizard in the world of art and entrepreneurship, Abhishek Poddar does it all and that too with great skill. A collector by heart with a knack for thriving ventures, the latest tour de force is the Museum of Art and Photography in Bengaluru which has revolutionised the way India will see and experience museums.

by Manisha Natarajan

Abhishek Poddar is more than just another prosperous Indian Industrialist. He is a patron of arts, a collector of phenomenal paintings and a philanthropist with a heart of gold. What is closest to his heart though, is his latest brainchild, the Museum of Art and Photography.

Serving as the trustee of the museum and donating several paintings from his family’s personal collection, Poddar unlocked MAP’s future by offering a new outlook on the concept of museums. Born and brought up in Calcutta, the city of joy has had a significant impact on his knowledge of art. A candid conversation with Poddar highlights the diverse facets of his personality and the reason behind MAP’s buzzing success.

How did your love for art come about?

I was living with art and it was organic for me to go in that direction. My dad was a collector, I won't say that he was as obsessive a collector. You become a collector when you actually run out of space, right?

The kind of art I used to see around me at home is not the kind of art that I would see in Calcutta, because that wasn't what my parents were collecting. I got more interested in the modern contemporary art scene in the mid-eighties. I started visiting a lot of the artists who were living in Kolkata and in Shantiniketan like Ganesh Pyne, Shuvaprasanna, Jogen Chowdhury, Sarbari Roy Chowdhury and Somnath Hore. Their art was quite different from what was hanging in our home. That was my initial grounding in art.

What inspired you to build MAP?

There were many things that led to it, and I think everything just made that resolve stronger and gave it a much more focused direction. One was, where are the good museums in India when you want to learn about art and history? There are few and far between. It's not that we don't have enough museums, but I don't think the museum experience is what we would like.

Private museums may not be the norm here, but this was a crucial step in igniting the lost love of art and heritage that keeps people united. My core idea was to make a museum that is relevant, exciting and inviting enough for people to explore and leave them wanting more.

It took a fair amount of thinking and planning on how to go about it. Also, when you've collected so much and you can't even enjoy it all, it's time that you share it with the world.

Where are the good museums in India when you want to learn about art and history? There are few and far between. It's not that we don't have enough museums, but I don't think the museum experience is what we would like. That's what inspired me to build MAP.

Abhishek

Poddar

Entry to the museum is completely free. While some shows are ticketed, all shows become free on Tuesdays. It adds a much-needed affordable and accessible angle to the museum space in India.

What sets MAP apart?

First of all, we were elated to see how the city embraced the museum. Eminent citizens and former corporates have even come forward to support and contribute. Moreover, I see people around the age of fifty at museums abroad whereas visitors at MAP are in their twenties.

One reason could also be the ease of access. Entry to the museum is completely free. While some shows are ticketed (those too highly affordable), all shows become free on Tuesdays. It adds a much-needed affordable and accessible angle to the museum space in India.

We have also made the museum accessible to people with disabilities. We have gone beyond the minimal wheelchair requirement and ensured that the space is inclusive and unrestricted for everyone. From the heights of buttons in elevators to the voice distribution in the auditoriums, we have been very careful in accommodating the needs of every individual. Our app is interactive for any enthusiast who wants to go beyond the realm of the museum and learn the intricacies of the artworks on display.

What should you do or not do when buying art?

You should always go for quality at whatever price point you can afford. Never sacrifice on quality, never sacrifice on name over quality, never sacrifice on size over quality. After quality, I would even say the condition of the artwork.

Don't get lured by secondary stuff or discounted prices. The more you look, the more you'll know. You have to educate yourself. If you're spending a lot of money and you don't know enough about art, chances are that it can become a costly mistake. Either learn so that you know enough or take help from those who know enough to be able to tell you. v