Asia's first museum of modern art to come up in Kolkata

Kolkata, May 13(UNI) A museum of modern art, first of its kind in Asia, will come up in Kolkata soon.

Involving a project cost of Rs. 550 crore, the centre will be a joint venture of the West Bengal Government, the Centre and Kolkata Museum of Modern Art KMOMA(KMOMA), a private organisation.

KMOMA Managing Trustee Rakhi Sarkar has signed the agreement with Mr. Harry Gugger, senior partner of the Swiss architect Herzog&de Meuron,for the project.

To be set up on a ten-acre plot at New Town on the eastern fringe of the city, the museum is designed to have a national gallery, Western Galleries, Far-Eastern Galleries and an Academic Wing, where a national collection of fine art ranging from the 19th century to the contemporary period will be exhibited, Ms.Sarkar said.

''The museum will also have research and educational facilities with database and a library,'' she said.

The KMOMA project is likely to be the second major international architecture in India after the landmark venture of French architect Le Corbusier, commissioned by former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to create Chandigarh in the 1950s.

Works like restoration of art work and their authentication will be carried out by the museum with the help of latest technology.

Ms.Sarkar said KMOMA would work in close coordination with the major museums of the world.

''The National Gallery section would focus on Indian visual art ranging from the 19th century reflecting colonial and post-colonial phases, to the present day,'' she said.

The Western Galleries will represent art from the West and the Middle East while the Far-Eastern section will showcase art from 19th century to the current period, including art works from SAARC countries as well as from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

In the Academic wing, courses will be conducted in Museology, Art History, Art Management and Restoration in collaboration with institutes of international repute, Ms.Sarkar said.

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