<p>Bengaluru: Bengaluru has all the ingredients to become a global cultural city, but it needs to connect the dots to achieve that. This was the consensus at a panel discussion on how the tech hub can carve a distinct cultural identity for itself by 2040.</p> <p>Setting the context, moderator and art consultant Nalini Malaviya said culture is not just about tradition, identity, or social factors, it also generates significant economic value. She noted that cultural tourism in San Francisco generates an estimated 1.7 billion dollars annually. The Louvre in Paris received around 10 million visitors annually before the pandemic. London has over 190 museums and 400 art galleries. In India, the Jaipur Literature Festival draws nearly four lakh attendees each year, while the Kochi Biennale saw a footfall of 1.6 lakh art enthusiasts in its first 20 days this ongoing edition.</p>.DH Bengaluru 2040 Summit | AI in Higher Education: ‘Process over product’ is the way forward, say experts. <p>Panellist and art collector Abhishek Poddar outlined three key levers Bengaluru must focus on to become a cultural destination. The founder-trustee of the Museum of Art & Photography said that it's the rhythm that builds habit and to build a cultural rhythm, the city needs accessible venues, integration of art into gateways such as airports and public spaces, and year-round programming of events.</p> <p>Poddar’s vision for Bengaluru is a "city where culture is not a seasonal activity but an everyday infrastructure".</p> <p>Agreeing with him, co-panellist Uma Mahadevan Dasgupta, additional chief secretary and development commissioner, Karnataka, said culture thrives where there is participation, inclusivity, and diversity. She suggested late-night museum visits, guided tours, free museum days, and community festivals. Access to culture, she said, must extend beyond four walls of conventional venues and permeate neighbourhoods. She praised the emergence of new cultural venues in Bengaluru and their growing inter-use.</p> <p>B L Shankar, chairman of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, observed that amid rapid urban construction, apartment complexes and commercial buildings should consider dedicating space for museums, theatres, or art galleries.</p> <p>The evolving and tense relationship between technology and culture was also discussed. The speakers spoke of the upside of technology, in that it enhances accessibility. Shankar said they are in talks with Google Arts & Culture to provide global access to works in their collection, and also hope to make virtual acquisition possible.</p> <p>In all, the panel agreed that what Bengaluru needs most now is coherence.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Bengaluru has all the ingredients to become a global cultural city, but it needs to connect the dots to achieve that. This was the consensus at a panel discussion on how the tech hub can carve a distinct cultural identity for itself by 2040.</p> <p>Setting the context, moderator and art consultant Nalini Malaviya said culture is not just about tradition, identity, or social factors, it also generates significant economic value. She noted that cultural tourism in San Francisco generates an estimated 1.7 billion dollars annually. The Louvre in Paris received around 10 million visitors annually before the pandemic. London has over 190 museums and 400 art galleries. In India, the Jaipur Literature Festival draws nearly four lakh attendees each year, while the Kochi Biennale saw a footfall of 1.6 lakh art enthusiasts in its first 20 days this ongoing edition.</p>.DH Bengaluru 2040 Summit | AI in Higher Education: ‘Process over product’ is the way forward, say experts. <p>Panellist and art collector Abhishek Poddar outlined three key levers Bengaluru must focus on to become a cultural destination. The founder-trustee of the Museum of Art & Photography said that it's the rhythm that builds habit and to build a cultural rhythm, the city needs accessible venues, integration of art into gateways such as airports and public spaces, and year-round programming of events.</p> <p>Poddar’s vision for Bengaluru is a "city where culture is not a seasonal activity but an everyday infrastructure".</p> <p>Agreeing with him, co-panellist Uma Mahadevan Dasgupta, additional chief secretary and development commissioner, Karnataka, said culture thrives where there is participation, inclusivity, and diversity. She suggested late-night museum visits, guided tours, free museum days, and community festivals. Access to culture, she said, must extend beyond four walls of conventional venues and permeate neighbourhoods. She praised the emergence of new cultural venues in Bengaluru and their growing inter-use.</p> <p>B L Shankar, chairman of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, observed that amid rapid urban construction, apartment complexes and commercial buildings should consider dedicating space for museums, theatres, or art galleries.</p> <p>The evolving and tense relationship between technology and culture was also discussed. The speakers spoke of the upside of technology, in that it enhances accessibility. Shankar said they are in talks with Google Arts & Culture to provide global access to works in their collection, and also hope to make virtual acquisition possible.</p> <p>In all, the panel agreed that what Bengaluru needs most now is coherence.</p>