Google all set to take Indian art and culture online; partners with two institutions under the Ministry of Culture

Google today announced a partnership with two institution under the Ministry of Culture - National Museum and National Gallery of Modern Art, to bring its pathbreaking Art Project, to India. Google's art project is a unique online platform for museums from across the world to showcase their artworks. It will enable art lovers to discover and view more than a thousand artworks of Indian and global artists in both the museums, online.

Radha and Krishna in the boat of love" from the National Museum and "Santiniketan Triptych" currently housed at the National Gallery of Modern Art can be enjoyed in "gigapixel' super high resolutions thus revealing their fine-grain details beyond what is visible to the naked eye. You can also stroll through the galleries themselves using the technology from Google Street View, and save specific views of artwork to create a personalized online collection.

The initiative was inaugurated by Smt. Kumari Selja, Hon'ble Minister of Culture and Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. Dr. Vijay Madan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture was also present on the occasion.

Hon'ble Minster Kumari Selja on the occasion said "In recent times, unfortunately, art has become somewhat inaccessible for a variety of reasons. A substantial body of artwork is locked up in private collections that are not easily accessible. Only a portion of art, that is available in public museums, can be put on display, and a vast majority is kept away from public view, in reserve collections. Even what is on display is subject to several limitations such as visiting hours of the Museums that are always limited, and lastly traveling to these Museums can be expensive and time-consuming.

Fortunately, technology has come to our aid and it has now become possible to access art, and information related to it, with relative ease and little expenditure And I am happy that Google Art Project has created this extensive platform that allows web-surfers to not only see high quality digitized images of art on their computer screens but also to access enormous amount of information about the art works.

From a child accessing the Web from an Internet cafe in Mumbai, to a student in New York looking for inspiration for a thesis, this project will connect a cross section of art enthusiasts providing them with information and a unique viewing experience. I am happy that my ministry is partnering with Google to get Indian art and culture online."

The partnership is part of a major global expansion of the project, which now counts 151 partners in 40 countries. Thanks to Google, art lovers are able with a few simple clicks of their fingers to discover not just paintings, but also sculpture, street art, and photographs. Globally more than 30,000 high resolution objects are available and Street View images cover 46 Museums, with more on the way.

Announcing the Art Project, Mr. Rajan Anandan, Managing Director and VP - Sales and Operations, Google India said, "The Art Project illustrates Google's commitment to bringing culture online and making it accessible to the widest possible audience. Globally, we're working with 151 cultural institutions in 41 countries. In India, we have partnered with great national institutions like NGMA and National Museum to take Indian culture and art online and we hope to collaborate with more institutions across India. Internet is unlocking our culture and history, and making it accessible to everyone worldwide."

"Under the Cultural Institute, Google is digitizing the archives of famous figures such as Nelson Mandela and creating 3D models of 18th century French cities," he added.

A wide range of institutions, large and small, traditional art museums as well as less traditional settings for great art, are represented in the expanded Art Project. Explore the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar. Continue the journey in India, exploring the Santiniketan Triptych in the halls of the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi.

Images using street view technology are displayed in fine quality and users may browse the content by the artist's name, the artwork, the type of art, the museum, the country, collections and the time period. Google+ and video hangouts are integrated on the site, allowing viewers to create even more engaging personal galleries.

Amit Sood, Head of Art Project, Google said, "The new expanded Art Project demonstrates our commitment to all types of art - and cultures and civilizations all across the globe. The Art Project is no longer just about the Indian student wanting to visit Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is now also about the American student wanting to visit the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi."

Commenting on the partnership, Prof. Rajeev Lochan, Director, National Gallery of Modern Art said, "The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is the premier museum of modern art and is a repository of the visual, plastic and creative ethos of India. The NGMA houses and showcases masterpieces of the changing art forms spanning more than 150 years. The collection plays a pivotal role as it maps, charters and records the trajectories, movements, diversities and individual pursuits that have contributed to the making of modern Indian art. The main objective of the NGMA is to create sensitivity, awareness and understanding among national and international audiences towards the Indian idiom and art expression. The Google Art Project uses sophisticated technology to help us take this endeavour online and available to users globally."

Shri Pravin Srivastava, Director General, National Museum said, "The National Museum's association with the Google Art Project allows us to give worldwide virtual access to moments in India's history. The Art Project is an important initiative to make available and promote the heritage of our museums using state of art technology. We are extremely happy to be part of this endeavour that enables universal access to Indian art and culture".