Things Encountered, Things Unbound : Objects engagements in museums in India and the UK : This research project is being jointly organised by the National Museum Institute (NMI), Delhi and University of Leicester, UK.

The project aims to investigate museum visitors’ engagements with objects in India, connect this with related research in the UK, and develop long-term collaboration between the two main partners (NMI and School of Museum Studies). The project also aims to explore what objects do in museums, how this might differ across cultural settings, and what the answer(s) might add to developing both object theory and museum practice.

During the course of the project, field research in three different kinds of museums in India and the UK each is to be done. It involves workshops to deliberate upon the results of the visitor studies. It also involves training of museum students and professionals, besides extensive intellectual exchange in workshops in India and the UK. In addition, it explores the role of objects in museums, how visitors engage and have a dialogue with objects and how this may differ across cultural settings.

Phase 1:

The first phase of the project was held at Jaipur in February 2015 where field research was done at City Palace Museum (Jaipur). As part of the project, a day-long workshop was held at Department of Art History, Rajasthan University to discuss and deliberate upon the results of the visitor studies conducted at the City Palace Museum, Jaipur.

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Phase 2:

The second phase of this research project was held in June 2015 where field research was done at the Thiksey Monastery Complex, Ladakh. As part of the second phase of the project, a day-long workshop was held at the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Leh to discuss and deliberate upon the results of the visitor studies conducted at the Thiksey Monastery Complex.

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