New Delhi : Students from the Communication Design department of IIAD, namely, Nikhil Shankar, Risaal Shaan, Shreya Bhardwaj, Aishwarya Shyam Kumar, Janvi Khera, Sreeram Jayaram, and Deepak Gupta, under the guidance of faculty members Shaaz Ahmed, Associate Professor, and Inderjit Singh Jassel, Technical Lecturer, undertook the project of digitising many of the galleries at the National Museum. Himanshu Sabarwal of Tricolor India Schauspiel Pvt. Ltd., involved IIAD students and Faculty in the project.
Upon entering the main building, you will be surrounded by five massive displays, two of which are interactive touch screens. These touch screens show multiple artifacts, and when selected, the artifacts’ details are displayed. The remaining three screens are projections prepared by the students.
Many of the artifacts in the museums now have transparent OLED screens that display text and visuals to disseminate information. In addition, the corridor leading to the inner circle of galleries has a 270-degree projection room that showcases the Ramayana in an animated format. The projection is coupled with a narration by acclaimed actor Kabir Bedi.
The Company Painting room on the first floor has also undergone significant changes. A map shows the various halls in the Company Painting Gallery at the entrance. In addition, there are two East India Company paintings which have been converted into projections by the students and faculty members. Finally, while walking towards the exit of the Company Paintings room, you will come across a photo booth where you can get yourself clicked in the style of an East India Company Painting of your choice.
The Central Asian Artifact gallery on the second floor also underwent many transformations. At the opening is a hologram showcasing five artifacts from various locations of the silk route. In addition, the Central Asian gallery has a multi-touch screen showing an interactive map of the region. The CAA room now has two projections which depict historical Central Asian paintings.
The students also worked in the Buddha Gallery adjacent to the main building. This building served as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) headquarters until 2018. The gallery has two touch screen tables, a digital flipbook, a slidable touch screen on the life and teachings of Buddha and a digital interactive pond, designed by the students of IIAD.
Seven decades after its founding, the National Museum has undergone a massive overhaul. Although many of the galleries are yet to be opened to the public, the ones that are currently accessible, have been very well received. On your next visit to the National Museum, you will indeed be left amazed at the work done by the students of IIAD.
