Lahore Museum revitalises itself

Lahore Museum launches two short educational courses: replica making and research methodology.

LAHORE: Lahore Museum is launching two short educational courses: replica making and research methodology.

The courses will begin in October, prior to which application criteria will be advertised. Experts will conduct the courses at the Lahore Museum. Lahore Museum director Humera Alam told The Express Tribune that experts would give practical training to the students who sign up for these courses.

She said “Any suitable place in the museum can be used for holding classes.”

She added that replica making class could be held in the conservatory. She said that the museum would not ask the Culture Department for any funds.

Rather, the courses would pay for themselves. “We are trying to arrange for experts to teach these courses, and if we have to pay them then we will use student fees.”

Sadequain’s Mural

Alam said that restoration work on Sadequain’s mural is underway. She said that the difficult phase of dismantling planks is complete. “It’s a slow process,” she said.

The mural is considered one of the masterpieces in the museum’s collection.

The 94’x26’ painting  was fixed in 1974 at a height of 37 feet in the ceiling of the main vestibule.

It is titled, “Man and the Mysterious Space.” The museum had sought assistance from institutions and experts for the restoration work.

A technical committee headed by Salima Hashmi was formed.  Other than Hashmi, the committee comprised architect Nayyar Ali Dada, National College of Arts Architecture Department head Fauzia Qureishi, Punjab Art Council executive director Ghulam Mustafa, Punjab University’s College of Art and Design’s former principal Shahnawaz Zaid, photographer Samiur Rehman and Lahore Museum director Humera Alam.

Sree Kuma Menon and Maninder Singh, two Indian experts who have experience restoring similar paintings in Rashtrapati Bhavan, India, will aid the Pakistani experts in the restoration work.

Alam, also, said that the museum’s magazine which has not been printed for the last few years, has now been published.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2010.