A thesis proposal on designing a

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Submitted to:
PROF. NIYATI VORA
Thesis coordinator

Submitted by:
RITU AGRAWAL

DATE: JULY 16, 2022

SYNOPSIS
 INTRODUCTION

For centuries, Art Galleries have played an integral role in preserving the art of our society.
Exhibits tell us stories about how our nation, our communities and our cultures came to be and
without them, those stories could be forgotten.

The proposed thesis project aims to develop ‘ART GALLERY FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS’
displaying an “Art of today” which is:
Globally influenced,
Culturally diverse, and
Technologically advanced.

Contemporary art is important due to its historical value being a product

and witness of a specific time and era.
It focuses on the means of communication of artists and the public and aims to conclude a
way by which communication may be improved. The emphasis is on the understanding of a
public space which is a stage for artists and citizens to interact. It will be a leading museum
dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and collecting contemporary art from across India and
around the world. It will provide a platform to work of today’s artists in the form of
contemporary art, namely -paintings, sculptures, photography, illumination and digital arts
‘installations, at a global level.

The project aim is to give a platform to the art of the various artist by creating attractive
public spaces, having diversity of functions and social classes. The overarching concern is to
'MAKE MUSEUMS MATTER' in an era of rapidly increasing technology.

ABSTRACT
The thesis outlines a design proposal to develop a ‘Art Gallery of Contemporary art’.
Contemporary art seems to exist in a zone of freedom. It keeps distance from the rules and
conventions of the ordinary functional character of everyday life. Quieter contemplation and
intellectual play exist together in that zone and offences against systems of belief. This
dissertation paper is a descriptive article discussing the various aspects and considerations
explored during the thesis project design of the Contemporary Art Gallery. The following
will attempt to describe in detail the various relevant factors which were required to
understand and consider during the design exercise. ln addition, this museum is designed in
such a way that serves as a breathing space for the city and responds to the social,
environmental, economic and artistic hunger of the human mind. The special quality of the
gallery is the hierarchy of spaces which would assists as a canvas for representing people's
emotions and life.

AIMS

The aim is to recognize and celebrate the histories, diversity, creativity, resourcefulness and
endurance of the people of our country and worldwide.
To expose people to various forms of contemporary and futuristic art and to strengthen their
inherent creativity.
The museum will provide a platform to study, collect and exhibit the art from 1890 to the
present. An era marked by seismic cultural, social and political shifts across the globe, artistic
responses to these changes have shaped multiple modernity’s and diverse contemporary
practices.
The goal is to break free from the conventional idea of an Art Gallery as a wall hung
showcase. It will focus on people’s participation and create an immersive experience with
interactive spaces. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum will have archives
vault, workshops- indoor and outdoor, cafeterias, and local art exhibition and selling spaces.

OBJECTIVES
The major objectives of the proposed Art gallery can be summarized as follows:
To acquire and preserve works of contemporary art from 1890 to the present.
To organize, maintain and develop galleries for permanent display.
To develop special exhibition halls for the display and sale the work of today’s artists.
To create an Art Gallery of contemporary art in India, a platform for expression and
interaction between the artists, and the common people.
To gain recognition which would attract artists art enthusiasts from various fields, foreign and
domestic visitors and private collectors to support the institution.
To achieve an overall EXPERIENCE CENTER in the form of ART MUSUEM which will
attract not only the adults but also the teenagers.
To show the Statement of Progress & Progression- creative achievements, technical
development, innovation, application, etc.
 NEED: WHY MUSUEM ON CONTEMPORARY ART?
Presently there are very few museums in India that deal with art. A need for a world -class
contemporary art museum has long been felt to cater to the needs of art lovers. To this need,
the project proposes the establishment of a contemporary art museum whose role would be:

 To collect and restore the art from 1890 to the present.

 To educate and foster the understanding of art.

 To introduce the rapidly changing trends in art.

 To establish a prominent aspect of education and entertainment.

 To contribute to the attraction of country.

 To display and sell new works of art by living artists

 To stand as a dialogue between the conventional and the experimental, the past, the
present, and the future.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Defining a path: Since museums deal with history, it is important to follow a
timeline and incorporate it into your design. By following a chronological order,
it enables the visitors to walk through the museum, taking information exhibit
by exhibit, story by story.
Spatial Relationships: While there is no standard formula for museum design,
in most cases a selection of different spaces is generally seen in most museums.
It is important to assess how these spaces will need to relate to one another, and
how public and staff will circulation between these spaces.
Promenade and Spatial Transparency: In the conception of a visual art
center, the focus on spaciousness and transparency is mandatory to provide a
clear reading of the space, inviting the visitors to circulate freely through a
promenade dictated by the interior architectural sequences. 
Orientation: Art galleries functions, demand different specifications and should
be planned according to a certain preference, which mainly concerns orientation
and flexibility.  North-facing windows are the most favorable, for the reflected
light provides the artist with a certain control over the values and contrasts.
Flexible Furniture: Making space for adjustable furniture, easily moveable
tables, chairs, and partitions is as much of a necessity to accommodate the
events and needs of the users. 
Accessibility: It is important that the gallery is accessible to all and this should
be taken into consideration throughout the design process to ensure access is not
an afterthought. The building must be able to accommodate people with any
kind of disability. 
Signage: Signage and guidance is an important part of the circulation plan of a
gallery, helping to guide the visitor on the suggested route through the exhibits
help them get the best experience of the gallery.
Lighting: The lighting design in a gallery or building that houses sensitive
objects is a complicated process. Considerations need to be taken first and
foremost on the effects of natural and artificial lighting on the exhibits. Direct
sunlight should not fall on a collection item.
Public Facilities and Restrooms: Public facilities and restrooms should be
easy to locate throughout the building. Museum visitors often spend a long time
in the building and will require moments to rest. Seating and rest zones should
be available for visitors to use.
Storage: Storage spaces will depend on the nature of the collections and the
work carried out at the gallery in addition to the display of collections to
visitors.
Services: The service quality attainable within a venue is decisive for the
‘feelgood factor’ of exhibitors, visitors and guest organizers. It also underpins
efficiencies and ease of doing business in the venue. Services may range like
internet access, charging ports etc.
Modern Technology: Need to include modern technology like Digital display
systems, Sound systems, Projection devices, A digital application which also
interacts with QR codes, Digital tablets which provide information about events
and exhibitions in the gallery.
Climate, environment and temperature: Art gallery collections are often
sensitive to any fluctuations in temperature, humidity and air pollution.
Therefore, it is important the climatic conditions are designed carefully and
remain constant in any areas that house the exhibits, including any storage
facilities.
Security: It is the essential part of life today, as museums, galleries, archives
have added duty and responsibility of protecting the nation’s cultural assets.
Fire-Fighting: A fire protection system is an important component of any
public space.
Environmentally Conscious Design: Sustainable strategies and designs have
become important. Therefore, coming up with a conceptual approach to equally
creative and environmentally friendly design is the ultimate goal.
Landscaping: Landscaping not only plays an important role in climate control
by keeping the gallery shaded and comfortable but also enhances the overall
aesthetics of the museum.
HISTORY OF ART GALLERY
Public art museums are nonprofit or publicly owned while private
galleries sell art. Galleries are also rooms in museums where the art is
displayed. There are also contemporary art galleries that are semi-
private: they sell the art and keep portion of the sales. Vanity galleries
charge the artists for displaying their art.

For the first art museum is considered Kustmuseum Basel which

originated from Amerbach-Cabinet the city of Basel bought in 1661
and with that made it the first municipally owned museum.
Kustmuseum Basel opened publicly in 1671. World’s first university art
museum is Ashmolean Museum in Oxford opened in 1683.

What are the Different Types of Art

Galleries?
1. The Commercial Art Gallery
The most common type of art gallery is the commercial art gallery. Although the
word ‘commercial’ may have a negative connotation as if they only care about
the money, this is, in fact, the ‘best’ type of art gallery for artists or collectors,
playing a crucial role in the art world. 

With commercial art galleries, the gallery collaborates with several artists,
agreeing to represent and support them. This means the gallery commits to
showcasing, promoting, selling, and distributing the artworks of the artist in
question. By doing so, the artist can make a living and build his career,
collectors base, and artist resume.

In return, the gallery earns a commission with the sales of the artworks. By
doing so, the gallery is motivated to do the best work possible for the artist,
pushing their career and sales. A win-win! The gallery makes money, and so
does the artist. The better the artists are promoted and grow their careers, the
better the gallery’s reputation. In a nutshell, what is good for the artists is good
for the gallery.

2. Mega-Galleries
Mega-galleries are commercial art galleries that continued to grow, becoming an
industry-leading actor in the gallery industry and the entire art world. In our
article on the Top 10 of the Biggest Art Galleries in the World, we have defined
the ‘mega-gallery’ as a highly influential art gallery with multiple locations and a
number of employees, and square meters of exhibition space similar to major
museum institutions.

The mega-galleries are the top layer of the gallery industry. They represent only
the very best artists in the world and do not only sell their artworks. They also
advise institutions, events, and corporations in the art world.
3. Vanity Art Galleries
Up next, we have Vanity art galleries. Vanity art galleries charge the artists to
exhibit and promote their work with the gallery. I would not call them art
galleries as they do not have a curated gallery program.

Although this may seem appealing for artists trying to kickstart their career as
an artist, I would advise them not to work with vanity galleries (make sure to
read our article on How To Succeed as a Painter/Artist). Vanity Galleries rarely
have an excellent reputation in the art world, nor do they have a good clientele
or a solid collectors base. Hence they do not select artists based on the quality
of the artworks but the size of their wallets. Most often, they would exhibit
anyone and anything willing to pay for the exhibition. As a result, it is
improbable to find genuinely exciting or emerging artists at Vanity galleries. At
the same time, they are not motivated to promote and sell the artworks of the
artists who decide to collaborate as they have already cashed in on the
collaboration.

The gallery invites artists to exhibit with them, which may seem very appealing.
But in reality, they squeeze the money from the artist by charging them
tremendous amounts for the location and promotion services without actually
being motivated to deliver a good service for the artists. So if one day you
receive an invitation to work with an art gallery, think twice when they propose
terms in which you need to pay to exhibit, as this might be the wrong way to go.

4. Exhibition Spaces
The fourth type of gallery is not a gallery but rather an exhibition space. In this
case, the artist rents an exhibition space in which they can organize their
exhibition. The artist pays rent per day or week and needs to take care of all the
other aspects of the show, such as supervision, promotion, print work,
invitations, et cetera.

These exhibition spaces are often referred to as art galleries, sometimes called
‘Gallery X’ or ‘Y Gallery’. However, as there is no curated gallery program and
not even a gallery owner, they are simply spaces available for rent suited for
organizing art exhibitions.

Doing so, they allow amateur or beginning artists to showcase their works and
gather some experience when it comes to exhibiting. However, one can not
expect the prestige of a self-organized exhibition in those spaces to be equal to
an exhibition at a ‘real’ art gallery, such as a commercial art gallery.

5. Artist-Run Galleries
We conclude our list of types of art galleries with the artist-run art gallery. In the
past few decades, we have seen multiple success stories of artist-run galleries.
Think of Galeria Plan B initiated by Mihai Pop and Adrien Ghenie. In this case,
artists or artist collectives start a gallery or exhibition space independently. The
most common reason to do this is due to a lack of opportunities to exhibit, as
they decide to create a platform of their own.

These initiatives take courage to realize; sometimes, it is a bit frowned upon.

However, as the aforementioned case study illustrates, an artist-run art gallery
can be highly successful and have as excellent a reputation as a commercial art
gallery. Eventually, if the artist-run gallery gets on well, it will transform slowly
but surely more into a commercial art gallery to continue to grow its activities.

What is the Difference Between

an Art gallery and a Museum?
Very often, there can be some confusion regarding the difference between art
galleries and museums. Both curate art exhibitions open to the public, so they
may look very similar. However, they are, in fact, enormously different, as we
have discussed in our extensive article concerning this topic What is
the Difference between an Art Gallery and a Museum?

In a nutshell, an art gallery is a commercial and private enterprise. They curate

exhibitions with the exhibited works available for sale. On the other hand, the
museum is a public and non-commercial institution. Their exhibition program
has an educational and cultural objective, canonizing and preserving the most
relevant artworks. As a result, the exhibited artworks are not for sale.