Preserving art: The restless ‘holy sinner’ finally at peace at State Bank Museum

Dr Asma Ibrahim shares the story of the construction and renovation of the facility.

KARACHI:

When Dr Asma Ibrahim, the curator and director of the State Bank Museum, was delegated the task of designing and constructing a ‘state-of-the-art’ facility, she found herself faced with an uphill task.

She explained her experiences and the events leading to the construction of the museum’s structure, at a talk at the museum’s premises on Saturday. The talk was organised by the online, monthly magazine, ArtNow, in association with The Express Tribune.

An archaeologist and conversationalist by profession, Dr Ibrahim wished to “preserve the treasures of art for future generations.” In doing so, she was faced by a multitude of problems - the “imposing red-brick colonial renaissance building”, formerly the ‘Imperial Bank of India’, that was supposed to house the museum had several structural defects, having been altered and modified several times over the last few decades. The biggest challenge, according to Dr Ibrahim, was to modify the building without making any contrasting additions or changes to its original structure.

Thus began a long and arduous journey of acquiring materials, establishing infrastructure and conserving the acquired materials until the museum was built. “The problem was that there was no institute that deals with such ventures. There were no trained professionals and ultimately, there was no reference museum for us to work with,” she revealed. Dr Ibrahim hired five fresh graduates from the Karachi University’s department of visual studies and set about designing and landscaping the entire building.

The other problem was to conserve the paintings and other works that had not been able to withstand the test of time. “There were no trained conservationists,” she remarked. Thus, Dr Ibrahim did what she knew best - she improvised. She employed a painter who was trained and guided by Dr Ibrahim’s associate in India via Skype.

“The trick is to focus on the minute details,” she told the awestruck audience, as she went about explaining her choice for the colour scheme, the design of the info graphics at the columns and even the chronological order of the exhibits. “We had to bear in mind that the museum should be accessible to everyone. The info graphics explaining the exhibits have been deliberately set at the eye level of a person seated on a chair,” she smiled, explaining that she wanted people in wheelchairs to be able to read them as well.

The State Bank Museum comprises coin galleries, a stamp gallery, a currency gallery, Governors’ Gallery and the much coveted Sadequain Gallery. The coin, currency and stamp galleries are a treat for enthusiasts and collectors as they include exhibits depicting the evolution of currency from its origins right from the time of cowrie shells to credit cards.

Haven for Sadequain fans

One of the most attractive features of the State Bank Museum is the Sadequain Gallery, which house four murals, especially painted by the great artist for the State Bank’s building. The most striking piece is the 60’ by 8’ mural, originally painted by the mastermind for the State Bank of Pakistan in 1961. The painting, titled ‘Time’s Treasures’, celebrates man’s intellectual achievements and depicts 46 renowned personalities known for their contributions to science, technology and philosophy. In the middle is the artist, Sadequain himself, showing his pulse to al Razi.

The other murals, Industry and Agriculture I and II, were painted by the artist for the SBP and deal with the themes of industry and agriculture. The paintings show figures of both genders happily engaged in endeavours which would ultimately bring them prosperity.

One of Sadequain’s most striking pieces exhibited at the gallery is the mural titled The Laboratory of Natural Universe, which shows man’s undying thirst and quest for the treasures of the earth and the heavens. It took him three months to finish the work, which he scratched and carved out with a knife to give it special effects.

The gallery also comprises smaller works by the artist, such as his works of calligraphy that were commissioned to him by the SBP. The paintings are still used by the SBP as covers for invitations to ceremonies and special events. Then there are the metal collages that the artist made especially to adorn the columns in the main SBP buildings across the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2013.