Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, and Frank-Peter Arndt, member of the Board of Management, BMW AG, announced that the BMW Guggenheim Lab will open in Mumbai on December 9, 2012, and will operate through January 20, 2013.
BMW Guggenheim Lab. Architects’ rendering, Mumbai Lab structure. Courtesy Atelier Bow-Wow
The central site for the Mumbai Lab will be at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, located in the heart of the Byculla district next to the city’s botanical gardens and zoo. Additionally, nearly half of the public programs will be held at a network of satellite locations throughout the city, making the Lab’s programming available to a wide range of audiences and communities. In a statement, Armstrong said,”The BMW Guggenheim Lab Mumbai will take its programs out to the people in a new way. As we expand and evolve the conversation about important issues of urban life, what better city to continue this thrilling process of exploration and discovery than Mumbai, the commercial and entertainment capital of India and a leading scientific center.”
In each of the cities visited by the Lab, a new Lab Team convenes, who design a roster of public programming in conjunction with Guggenheim staff. The Mumbai Lab Team consists of an international group of experts and innovators, all emerging talents in their fields: Aisha Dasgupta, a British demographer based in Malawi whose research lies in the field of international development; China-based Dutch architect Neville Mars, who applies urban research to realize sustainable projects on all scales; Trupti Amritwar Vaitla, a Mumbai architect and urban transport designer; and Héctor Zamora, a Mexican artist based in Brazil who works extensively in public space and engagement.
Together with Guggenheim curator David van der Leer, the Mumbai Lab Team has created a series of projects, academic and participatory studies, and design proposals for Mumbai, along with neighborhood-specific public programming for the satellite locations. The Lab’s goal is to integrate theoretical discussions with daily activities and engagement that can facilitate urban change.
To learn more about the Lab, visit bmwguggenheim.org