Manchester Museum recently unveiled some details around its brand-new South Asia Gallery, set to be formally launched in August 2022. Ahead of the grand unveiling, DiwaliFest2020 got a special preview into what’s in store for this iconic project.
The Museum had recently also announced the appointment of Studio C102 and Mobile Studio Architects as the design team for the new permanent South Asia Gallery. In collaboration with the British Museum and the South Asia Gallery Collective, Studio C102 and Mobile Studio Architects will join Manchester Museum on its journey to create an exceptional new co-curated and co-designed space. These two studios have formed an exciting new consortium to deliver the project.
At 372m2, the gallery will be the first and largest permanent gallery in the UK dedicated to exploring the stories, experiences, cultures and contributions of South Asian diaspora communities in the UK. It will bring together lived experience and world-class collections, including loans from the British Museum, in what will be the largest permanent gallery in the Museum. At its centre, there will be a performance space for generating and sharing new perspectives and stories.
Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum, said: “We are delighted with this appointment. Studio C102 and Mobile Studio Architects have shown their commitment to being open, accessible and inclusive in their approach.
“With their collaborative spirit and dedication to co-design, this gallery will be a brave and bold space; a place for emotional connections and new perspectives.”
The South Asia Gallery will bring extraordinary objects from the British Museum to Manchester, to be displayed alongside the very best of Manchester Museum’s own South Asian collections, including the natural sciences.
The visually stunning gallery will welcome visitors with beautiful displays and a dynamic contemporary take on South Asian and British Indian culture.
*To catch other highlights from DiwaliFest2020, click here