Manchester Museum will be the first-ever museum to have a permanent South Asia gallery in the UK, as a part of a landmark partnership with the British Museum. The gallery will bring forth diverse histories and experiences of the South Asian diaspora living in Manchester and will generate new ideas, events, performances, learning and public programmes in the museum. Curated by Nusrat Ahmed, and co-curated with The South Asia Gallery Collective, a group of 30 inspiring individuals including community leaders, educators, artists, historians, journalists and musicians, the gallery will be a celebration of the contributions of the South Asian community in the UK. The new South Asia Gallery will be the UK's first permanent space dedicated to the lived experience of the South Asian community.
Speaking to Asian Voice, The Singh Twins explained why it is important to preserve South Asian history and heritage in museums like the Manchester Museum.
The Singh Twins said, “Museums have a crucial role to play in helping us make sense of what is happening around us, broadening our understanding of who we are in relation to one another. If you look at some of the objects in museums, a teapot is not just a teapot – it comes with a whole history that not only connects us to different people and places of the past, but helps shed light on important, current debates around colonialism, race and ethical consumerism, for example. That’s what really interests us as artists, these hidden connections and shared identities and histories that have modern relevance. There is extraordinary convening power in bringing lived experience, objects, art and performance together, which is what the South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum strives for. South Asia has a rich history, which can teach us so much, and it’s time museums brought this to life in ways that reflect multiple perspectives.”
Photo credit: Photographer Christopher Doyle
