catalogue: concept and visualisation

The catalogue serves the purpose of a publication which informs the visitors about all the display in the museum. It gives them a deep insight about all tthe artefacts.

The catalogue cover is designed to convey the essence of the museum.

Its again lays emphasis on masks and makeup which are th core elements of any performance. Hence the focus has been on the face.Which give the expressions that highten the essence of any dance

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The layout also had to be simple and easy to use and understand

poster: concept na visualisation

Poster is a medium of advertising or publicity. Therefore it had to be on the lines on which the museum is designed. That is like the display the poster also had to be dynamic and living, such that it is able to convey and converse on its own.

I choose to make the poster for the Museum of Performing Arts, Kerala. To make to poster dynamic the image had to be really strong. The imakge in a way should convey the display of the museum, as to what to expect out of the museum.

The image shows a man applying makeup on his face for a performance, which is a very important part and even the starting of any performance.

Hence in a way the image conveys what the museum is about, its not static but dynamic and living .

The poster should convey the what and how without being too explicit so as to retain the mystery of the museum.

Display: concept and visualisation

After exploring concepts for the Museum and its functions in the community the museum display was for developing an evolutive programme of thematic exhibitions and related activities.
We had to break away from the conventional method of display and instead considers what (and how many) elements should be combined in the museum display and according to which functional hierarchy they should be presented and apprehended.
I worked on the lines where the object shall not be the focus of the display instead it would be the essence that the object creates.
I choose to work on a masked dance of kerala "kummatti kali".
The main attraction of the dance is their leafy costumes made out of grass and mumerous colourfull masks which represent characters from mahabharat and ramayana. They dance to the rhythm of onavillu a sacred stringed bow.
My ideology was that in order to create an impact on the visitors its necessary they undestand all the parts which together combine to form the dance.The display had to be dynamic and alive. Since its a dance the only way you can get the essence of its vigour ,energy and movement is by seeing the dancers in performance. After considering several pros and cons and applying all possible permutation and combinations i came to the final display plan.

The room is divided into two areas
1- the display zone
2-the screening area

The display plan follows a circular pattern because that is the formation of the performance.during which the dances are in the center and the musicians on the periphery.

THE DISPLAY ZONE

The first thing that you notice when you enter the room are the display boxes.The display boxes are suspended from the ceiling using the alluminium cables at an eyelevel .This enables comfortable viewing as the object becomes the focus because its at an eyelevel.
Their are eight small boxes and one larger central one. Each small box is rectangular in shape and divided into two compartaments so that we can dispaly two separate objects hence utilizing resources.

THE BOXES

The boxes have glass on three sides (the front and the sides)so that you can get the front as well as the side view of the object. The box has a wooden framework to make it stable and strong.The box is divided into two partitions .The partition of the box has a mirrored surface so that the back of the object gets reflected in it. Hence this arrangement gives us a complete view of the object.
The bigger box also has the simmilar arrangment but with no partition. The back surface of the box has a mirror surface.

OBJECTS DISPLAYED

The smaller boxes display several masks and musical instuments used. The central bigger box display the complete attire worn during the dance.
The display boxes have been startegically placed so that the visitor has to navigate their way betwen the dispaly and then reach the screening area. In this way they have to see everything displayed and nothing gets missed.

THE SCREENING AREA
I proposed to have a screening area in the room where we could at times screen movies on the kummatti dance , and when ever possible have a live puppets show where the puppets are dressed as the kummatii dancers , perfomning on the rhythm of onavillu.

Such an experience will be entertaining and not educating then just the display. Screening area forms an important part of this display because here you can see the objects in motion.
This will help them analyse the dance and experience it in full form.Thus help recreting the experince through sound and visual.

Museums are usually considered as cemetries. The displays are usually dead, not conveying anything. This dispaly focuses on giving life to these objects, to animate them so that you can experience a conversation between the objects. The display here is interactive and alive .