Icons Of Nationalism Digital Museum
The Icons of Nationalism: From the Soil of Bengal is an experiential museum that celebrates the essence of nationalism in Bengal and its icons who dedicated their lives to gaining India’s freedom from colonial rule. The design and development of the museum is done by Tagbin.
Location
The National Library of India, Kolkata, West Bengal
Client
Ministry of Culture, GoI
Area
32,000 sq ft
‘Icons of Nationalism’ has been created to bring to youth the life stories and struggles of the four remarkable revolutionaries from Bengal, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Syama Prasad Mookerjee, to the forefront in an engaging exhibition. Tagbin recounted stories of the four great leaders that Bengal gave to our country. The inspirational incidents of their lives, their unique styles, and their charismatic leadership have been presented using interactive digital installations.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Rabindranath Tagore
The first phase exhibits the life of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. A digitalized medium of his verses is deciphered in a voice-over to knock on the visitor’s ears. Another panel illustrates information about his 18 different postings during the period of his job. Projection mapping is done over the panel gleaming a few excerpts from the book ‘Anandmath’ written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. The fourth panel builds an emotional connection with the song ‘Vande Matram’ written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. To give the national song of India a handy feel, the recital of the tune, which was also created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, is sung in the background using high-end audio-visual effects.
The next phase is a depiction of the life of Rabindranath Tagore showcased using state-of-the-art technologies like projection mapping and digital panels. One panel here showcases his work not just as a poet but also as a revolutionary. Multi-technical mediums have been used here to decipher the in-depth meaning of various letters written by Gurudev Tagore.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Syama Prasad Mookerjee
The third phase is dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The most interesting artefact displayed here is a document written to the British secret services by the British government to assassinate Bose. Another panel here displays his idols and the places of pilgrimage he went to understand the spirituality of life. His establishment of the provisional government of India, his taking over as Prime Minister of India, and his arrest after the disobedience movement are also showcased here.
The final phase is dedicated to the life and works of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. His varied pieces of work are showcased here. Videos of his role during the partition of India and the aggravating scenario when Pakistan invaded Kashmir are also displayed in different panels.
Technology Used To Enhance Experience
To connect with the modern generation, the museum is engineered around a series of interactive methods. Innovative experimental tools and multi-sensory techniques are deployed here for the purpose of giving people a summarised ideation of Bengal history from its era of revolution.
The museum is equipped with multifarious technologies like interactive walls, immersive projections, touchscreen panels, and audio-visual installations. Through a series of immersive experiences about the leaders from the soil of Bengal, it is an attempt to inspire the youth of India. It is a digital exhibition of archival documents like original letters written by the nationalists or by their family members, documents from old literature, newspaper clippings, and archival footage.