Science, Visual Culture and Museums
Digital launch of an exhibition titled "Science, Humanism and the Making of Modern India" by the Centre for World Environment History. Previously showcased physically in Kolkata on January 10, 2023, and currently ongoing at the Botanical Survey of India in the Indian Museum, this exhibition presents select research outcomes from the University of Sussex's project: "Science and the Colonies: Hidden Networks of Botanical Science, Ecology, and Eugenics at the End of Empire." The project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which are part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
One of the exhibition's objectives is to reassess the scientific practices of that era by exploring the influence of race, gender, and indigenous knowledge from the colonies in the cross-pollination of ideas. In conjunction with this significant milestone, we have organized a concise yet insightful workshop that delves into the underlying themes of this remarkable exhibition. The workshop will serve as the launch platform for the digital exhibition and provide a contextual framework for examining the profound interplay between science, visual culture, and museums.
Distinguished scholars and curators from various institutions have been invited to participate in the workshop, including Antonia Moon from the British Library and Chief Curator of the India Office Records, Sarah Wilmot, Archivist and Librarian of the John Innes Centre (our project partner), Susan Thomson, Filmmaker, who has created an evocative exploration of Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society, and Shibaji Bose, Independent Filmmaker, whose team filmed the digital walkthrough of the exhibition. Additionally, Professor Ben Burbridge, an Art Historian from Sussex University, will be present, sharing insights from his curation of "Revelations: Experiments in Photography in the Science Museum." Other participants include Zuky Serper, Art and Activism Co-ordinator at CWEH, and Anindita Saha, Curator of the Mangrove School Project's paintings of climate change in the Sundarbans.
The hybrid workshop will take place from 1-5 pm on June 26, 2023 at Fulton room no. 111, University of Sussex. We kindly request you to register by sending an email to environmentalhistory@sussex.ac.uk and closer to the workshop date, we will share the online Zoom link with you if you are attending online. Also, please find a detailed workshop programme attached. Looking forward to see you.
Tentative Programme
Inaugural Launch of Exhibition: Science, Humanism and the Making of Modern India
1.00-1.30pm: Introductory Address
1.30-2.00pm: Mike Rayner walkthrough of digital exhibition
2.00-2.15pm: Film screening of Susan Thomson’s Janaki Ammal and the Genetical Society
Session 1 2.15-2.30pm: Antonia Moon (BL)
2.30-2.45pm: Sarah Wilmot (JIC)
2.45-3.00pm: Laharee Mitra (Brighton)
3.00-3.15pm: Q&A Session
Tea Break
3.15.-3.30pm
Session 2
3.30-3.45pm: Anindita Saha (Sussex)
3.45-4.00pm: Angelos Theocharis (Durham)
4.00-4.15pm: Ben Burbridge (Sussex)
4.15-4.30pm: Zuky Serper (Sussex)
4.30-4.45pm: Q&A Session
Closing Remarks 4.45-5.00pm