Twelfth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

In India, at the national, state, and regional levels, there have been efforts to construct and support museums that categorise varied cultures under the problematic rubric of ‘folk’ or ‘tribal’ arts. This endeavour perpetuates the notion of an uncomplicated homogenised culture simultaneously concealing multiple histories and undermining the heterogeneous social groups that operate within them. In this process, objects with quotidian or ritual use displaying any historic or aesthetic character get framed as ‘artworks’ when brought into a museum setting. Consequently, fixed temporal and spatial characteristic are ascribed to them, which in turn deny them an opportunity to re-invent and re-define themselves in response to the dynamic changes in their social environs. In the region of south Kanara in Karnataka the tradition of ‘Bhutaradhane’ and its material culture have become significant symbols for self-assertion and identity construction. This is reflected in the local museums. At the state and national folk/tribal museums, the Bhuta objects are catalogued as ethnographic objects. However, ethnic communities in the region who do not subscribe to the Bhuta cult are overlooked in such representation, conveying a dominant notion of history and heritage. This paper examines the intentions, aspirations, and ideologies of museums at the regional, state, and national levels, which are exhibited through their curatorial practices in relation to the Bhuta objects. Furthermore, it explores the social, cultural, and political forces that operate in these museums and initiates critical inquiry into the museumisation process by embedding it within the larger discourses on identity, culture, and heritage.