“The collection is one of the most significant of its kind"
The Victoria and Albert Museum will be redeveloping its South Asia gallery over the next few years after receiving support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
It will see the museum create a new gallery which reinterprets its varied collection of South Asian art and design.
Opening in spring 2028, it will be accompanied by a wide-ranging activity programme on and off-site, as well as online.
The gallery will be built around a new narrative exploring South Asian artistic production in the diverse cultures and its global influence.
The space will be split across three time periods:
- Early and medieval South Asia from around 3000 BC to 1500 AD.
- Early modern from around 1500 AD to 1800 AD.
- Modern from about 1800 AD to the present.
Approximately 50,000 objects dating from 3000 BC to the present day are currently in the museum’s collection.
This includes decorative arts and manuscripts relating to court cultures, textiles and dress, and various paintings.
South Asian sculpture and architectural pieces, arms and armour and Indo-European furniture are also among the items.
The museum said the collection’s redevelopment is set to explore the “colonial history of the V&A’s South Asian collection and the complex history of collecting South Asian art in the UK”.
Among the rare items set to go on display will be the newly restored Kochi Ceiling, a painted and carved 19th-century wooden temple ceiling from south India that will be conserved, reconstructed and suspended at height.
The ceiling was last on display in 1955.
It features sculpted panels which depict deities and stories from the Ramayana.
The Victoria and Albert Museum said a contemporary designer will be commissioned to create new panels to fill gaps in the original ceiling.
Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, said:
“We’re delighted to have the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund to transform our historic South Asia gallery, which houses one of the oldest collections at the V&A.
“The collection is one of the most significant of its kind in the Western world and we’re enormously grateful for this grant that will help create a world-leading gallery of South Asian art and design and engage with a new generation of British, global and diasporic communities.”
Stuart McLeod, director of London & South at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, added:
“We are delighted to give our initial support to the V&A to re-present and reinterpret their incredibly important collection of South Asian art and design.
“One of the things that stood out for us was their commitment to consultation and co-working to develop a gallery which reflects the diverse histories and cultures of South Asia.
“We look forward to working with the team to progress their plans to apply for a full grant at a later date.”
Development funding of £250,000 has been awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help the V&A progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant of £4 million at a later date.
Loading ...