Drawn from the disciplines of cartography, archaeology and design,The Museum Within concerns itself with the position and function of the ‘museum’, elucidated specifically in the selection and cataloguing of objects for display as well as its role in conservation.

Donning the mantles of archaeologist, museum curator and conservator, Debasish Mukherjee reimagines these roles and reconstructs architectures and objects from his past in order to raise questions around preservation and neglect. The Museum Within proposes alternative forms of inquiry into the keeping of Indian heritage. Do our museums aptly serve as custodians of material culture and collective identity? Do our historical sites deserve more respect as emblems of social history? How can we communicate our centuries old traditions better, so as not to lose them completely? 

Before excavation, a site grid is drawn enabling the archaeologist to create a precise map of the site and to record the exact location of all the features and artifacts on the site. Marking a fixed reference point from which all measurements are taken, a rectangular grid is superimposed over the entire site. Each square in the grid is precisely measured and assigned a number. These squares are often referred to as units. Mukherjee’s work follows a similar grid-like plan, with repetitive units recording a series of related finds.This is especially true of his ‘white cube series’, where small objects appear as excavated artifacts, still grounded in the pale surface of their origins. In doing so, Mukherjee adeptly represents a transitory stage between the artifact’s unearthing to its eventual placement for public viewing. Effectively, it also leads one to think of all that is yet to be discovered. 

Debasish Mukherjee

Debasish Mukherjee (b. 1973) was born in Chapra, a historically important town in Bihar. He grew up amidst open spaces and railway colonies, mixing freely with people from various social backgrounds. He graduated from the Banaras Hindu University with a specialization in Painting. Rooted in India, Mukherjee manifests his keen observations of India’s built environment, social fabric and events from his day-to-day life into his art practice. Mukherjee’s work tends to interrogate the way an object or memory is preserved, celebrated or neglected. 

He has also conducted extensive research with weavers and artisans across India, especially within Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Gujarat. He has had solo exhibitions including River Song at Akar Prakar, New Delhi (2019); and A Museum Within at Akar Prakar, New Delhi (2016). He had also participated in numerous group shows including Multitudes & Assemblages for Hub India at Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti, Turin, Italy (2022); The Legacy of Loss: Perspective on the Partition of Bengal at Kolkata Centre for Creativity (2021); Gaj Yatra at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi (2018) to name a few. The artist lives and works in New Delhi.