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In an unprecedented approach in India, Indian curators have selected objects that play an important role in Indian narratives about antiquity and complement the cultural narratives from ancient Greece and Rome. To this end, the CSMVS curators have selected sculptures and other objects from the collections of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the British Museum and the Getty Museum, which will be exhibited alongside artefacts from Indian institutions. The exhibition is made possible by the generous support of the Getty.

The exhibition focuses on traditions that have shaped ancient cultures, many of which still define aspects of society today, such as the role of nature in human life, the divine form and concepts of beauty. The sculptures, which are displayed alongside the museum's Indian collections, illustrate the interconnectedness of the ancient world and the extraordinary longevity of India's cultural traditions.

The exhibition experience is complemented by an immersive tour of the gallery, a multilingual audio guide and short films in which experts from different parts of the world talk about the exhibits.

India and its role in the ancient world

On the occasion of India's 75th year of Independence celebrations across the country and around the globe, this project highlights the history of the ancient world and India's role in it. Indian visitors will discover India's age-old ability to harbour and preserve a diversity of ideas and cultures both within and outside the subcontinent, highlighting thousands of years of cultural diplomacy.

"More than 50 per cent of India's vast population is under the age of 25. For decades, school children and university students in India have been learning about ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome, but until now they have not been able to study first-hand any of the great works of art that these civilisations produced," said Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Director General, CSMVS. "We see the exhibition as a unique and important educational project that will give Indian audiences and children new perspectives on their own culture by relating it to other societies and geographies."

International collaboration and co-curation

The project is a new approach to international partnerships, with partners lending their artefacts to India for 10 months. The CSMVS curators worked with their colleagues on the lending side to select the objects, research the background and prepare the specific interests and requirements of the Indian visitors. The process has led to new insights and raised new questions for all involved.

"CSMVS has organised a fantastic exhibition that combines art from European collections and the Getty with new perspectives and understanding, and ties CSMVS's objects into a larger global narrative," said Katherine Fleming, President and CEO of the Getty. "That's our goal in supporting the sharing of collections across continents."

"We have brought gods from the ancient Mediterranean on a long-term visit to their Indian friends in Mumbai," said Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. "As the largest cultural institution in Germany, the SPK has a wide range of collaborations worldwide. We are proud to be part of this extraordinary project in India, which takes co-operation to a new level: Not only objects are travelling, but also knowledge. Four sculptures from our collection will be shown in India for the first time thanks to the partnership between the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the British Museum, the Getty Museum and the CSMVS. This project can promote a truly global and mutual understanding of world cultures."

This collaboration is expected to have a lasting impact as the curators will reflect this experience and knowledge back to their respective institutions. Through these objects, visitors to Mumbai will be able to explore the flow of people and ideas, artistic influences and ancient concepts of belief and religious worship - against the backdrop of the often surprising presence of ancient models in the contemporary world.

"The Berlin Collection of Classical Antiquities can look back on a proud history of more than 350 years of exhibition and research," says Andreas Scholl, Director of the Collection of Classical Antiquities at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. "My colleagues and I are very pleased about the interest in our collection, our work and our endeavour to make Berlin's antiquities accessible to a large Indian audience. And - just as importantly - to connect us with India as one of the oldest, most important and most diverse cultures in the world."

Educational opportunities

Leaders of the project hope to spark curiosity about exploring the ancient world and encourage young Indians to use museums as fertile sources for learning about it. The 10-month exhibition offers another new dimension: Mumbai schools and Indian universities can develop courses on the artefacts, and the objects on display can be used in school and university curricula.

The CSMVS has also planned a series of lectures, films and other activities, many of which will take place in cities outside Mumbai.

The Ancient World Gallery at CSMVS

The exhibition is the prelude to a larger project on the ancient world: a new gallery on ancient civilisations at CSMVS, which is scheduled to open in 2025. Drawing on the CSMVS collection of ancient Indian material, the gallery will focus on the four riverine civilisations of Harappa (Indus Civilisation), Mesopotamia, Egypt and China, incorporating the Persian, Greek and Roman worlds and highlighting the legacies and often interrelated connections of these civilisations and their impact on the world today. The Antiquities Gallery will once again be a collaboration between the four partner museums, supported by Getty.

Project partners

Organised on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence - Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav
(Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India)

A project presented by:
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai

In collaboration with:
National Museum, New Delhi
The British Museum, London
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz
The J. Paul Getty Museum
Bihar Museum, Patna
Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Madhya Pradesh

Jointly curated by:
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai
The British Museum, London
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz
The J. Paul Getty Museum

Academic Programme:
The University of Cambridge - Global Humanities Programme

Major support from the Getty
Additional support from Citi

Press contacts for further information and interview requests:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai
awg@csmvs.in, +91-022-69584400 (office landline)

Getty, Los Angeles
Alexandria Sivak, asivak@getty.edu, +1-310-440-6473

The British Museum, London
Miranda Wiseman, communications@britishmmuseum.org, +44 (0)20 7323 8102

Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin
Birgit Jöbstl, b.joebstl@hv.spk-berlin.de, +49 30 266 411 445
Stefan Müchler, s.muechler@hv.spk-berlin.de, +49 30 266 411 422

Press images for download: https://www.preussischer-kulturbesitz.de/newsroom/presse/pressebilder.html