Curating change at the British Museum
OPINION: Sushma Jansari on Ancient India: living traditions
Thursday 19 June 2025 | opinions from the world of museums, galleries, heritage and art
Hello.
Welcome to my second revamped mid-week edition of maxwell museums.
As I revealed recently, these editions have had a shake-up and will now alternate each week between a big interview, and an insightful opinion piece by a guest writer.
This week, its the opinion piece, now expanded to 500 words from the previous 250. More space, but still digestible as part of your busy day. (And I finally came up with a title for it!)
And these editions will also feature the Hot List too — all the brand new things you should have on your radar.
With housekeeping done, let’s dive in!
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Take Five Hundred
An opinion column — in 500 words — by a guest writer.
💬 Curating the latest British Museum exhibition required open conversations. They've inspired change I'm proud of
by Sushma Jansari, Tabor Foundation Curator South Asia at the British Museum
You might have seen bright pink posters for a new exhibition at the British Museum titled Ancient India: living traditions.
The title and poster emphasise the ancient/contemporary connection, and they highlight that this is not your usual British Museum exhibition. We championed both a different visual approach and collaborative community-based work.
As soon as you enter the exhibition space, you see an explosion of colour, you inhale the scent of sacred sandalwood, and you hear the sounds of rustling leaves, birds calling and temple bells ringing.
In front of you are not one but three devotional images. Instead of dividing up religions, dynasties and peoples as most exhibitions of South Asian art do, I wanted this show to explore the common origins of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain art in the nature spirits of the subcontinent and the enduring relevance and resonance of this sacred art for hundreds of millions of people around the world today — including here in the UK.
As a British South Asian, it was vital that community was the living and breathing heart of this project.
As soon as the exhibition was given the go ahead, we reached out to practicing Hindus, Buddhists and Jains and together formed a community partnership panel. We initially focused on building trust as a foundation for our collaboration.
It was important that these were open discussions so we could explore what was most significant for our community partners and what was possible. Our open and honest conversations fostered a positive environment that led to change in how the British Museum does things.
Some of the outcomes were really quite unexpected — for all of us! — and they enrich the whole exhibition in so many ways.
Ahimsa (non-violence) is a key Jain principle and we incorporated this into the exhibition, committing to using materials that were not derived from animal products wherever possible.
The paint and textiles used in the exhibition, for example, are all vegan and our conservators sourced vegetarian or vegan products as part of their work.
Our publishing team also took up the challenge and for the first time in the museum’s history, the exhibition book is also completely vegan. This commitment is also shared through a co-authored community label in the exhibition.
Collaborations extended to music, design, loans and even the opening reception.
The exhibition foyer and conclusion are filled with the sound of uplifting contemporary music composed by British South Asian musician Dalbir Singh Rattan. Modern woodblock-print patterns designed by British South Asian artist Neera Sehgal are integrated through the show. Our community partners loaned us three contemporary Hindu, Buddhist and Jain sacred devotional images for the conclusion that reflect the ancient images at the start.
The reception included monks and priests who blessed the exhibition and devotional art within, and all food was vegetarian and vegan, plus alcohol-free drinks.
I wanted Ancient India to show that these religious traditions and their art are part of our shared cultural heritage here in Britain today.
Ancient India: living traditions runs until 19 October 2025 at the British Museum. The accompanying book is available now.
The Hot List
My curated round-up of what’s NEW to see, do, watch, read and more.
EXHIBITION
🔵 Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings
Sir John Soane’s Museum, London 🇬🇧 | now open, until 21 Sept 2025
The first retrospective exhibition of the starchitect since his death in 2021 — and curated by his son Ab — Talking Buildings focuses on his eight favourite projects including the Zip-Up House, the Centre Pompidou, Lloyd’s of London and the Millennium Dome. 🔗 find out more
ONLINE TALK
🔵 Cartier in London: The Untold Story
V&A South Kensington (online) | Thursday 19 June. 19:00
Bestselling author Francesca Cartier Brickell presents the extraordinary hidden history of the French jeweller in London, including stories of some of the spectacular pieces in the current blockbuster exhibition. In-person places are sold out but livestream tickets are available. 🔗 book your place
EVENT
🔵 Windrush Day 2025
National Maritime Museum, London | Saturday 21 June. From 11:00
A day of creative workshops, informative talks and drop-in activities to explore the significance of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush — which arrived in Britain on 22 June 1948 — and the legacies of the Windrush generation. It’s a packed schedule, and everything is free to attend. 🔗 discover more
EXHIBITION
🔵 Sonia Boyce: Feeling Her Way
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada 🇨🇦 | now open, until 29 Sept 2025
British artist Boyce brings her 2022 Venice Biennale Golden Lion-winning exhibition to Nova Scotia for its final stop of a North American tour. With four female vocalists at its core, visitors can expect a thought-provoking visual and auditory experience. 🔗 find out more
FESTIVAL
🔵 Helsinki Biennial 2025
Across Helsinki, Finland 🇫🇮 | now open, until 21 Sept 2025
This third edition of the huge Finnish art festival is themed around shelter. 57 artworks have been unveiled — half are being shown in public for the first time. Works can be seen at the HAM Helsinki Art Museum and the stunning landscape of Vallisaari Island. 🔗 learn more
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