HindustanTimes
Vinod Daniel
During the extended lockdown, there have been few online attractions provided by museums for the public to visit. The crisis offers them an opportunity to provide more services digitally.
A relatively unnoticed impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and the restrictions which have followed it, is on museums across the world.
Members of AusHeritage visited Malaysia and India recently for a number of meetings to further develop relationships and to investigate potential new projects.
A six member senior heritage delegation from Australia visited Kuala Lumpur on February 17-18, 2020. The delegation from AusHeritage, Australia’s International Heritage Network had a working session with Think City officials, delivered a workshop on Risk Management for Collections at the Islamic Art Museum and also met with the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Arts, Mr Muhammad Bakhtiar bin Wan Chik.
The Times of India, Feb 20, 2020
Australian forensics and Tamil traditional building methods may soon find a creative meeting point at Humayun Mahal at the Chepauk Palace. AusHeritage, an Australian network of heritage experts and architects on Wednesday held discussions with the state public works department on restoring the building that suffered serious damages in a fire accident in 2012.
The Hindu, Chennai – 20 February 2020
Work on Humayun Mahal, using traditional conservation techniques, comes in for high praise. Mughal-era techniques, followed for conservation of heritage buildings in the Chepauk Palace complex, have caught the attention of Australian heritage experts.
A seven-member delegation from Australia was in the city on Wednesday to learn about the traditional techniques adopted for restoring Humayun Mahal. They were all praise for the use of traditional methods, particularly the Kangeyam bulls employed to grind lime mortar used to plaster walls.
How can museums stay relevant? Museum man Vinod Daniel has answers
Daniel, chairman of the board for AusHeritage, has worked closely on museum projects pan-India, including the Madras Museum, the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum in Delhi.
India’s museums need to focus on the country’s living culture and intangible heritage rather just blindly follow the Western tangible or object-based approach in order to attract footfalls and a loyal following, feels Vinod Daniel, Chair of AusHeritage and a former long-serving Member on the Board of Australia-India Council.
AusHeritage was invited by colleagues at Meinhardt to attend a meeting with Dr Vinita Srivastava Executive Director (Heritage). AusHeritage was represented by Vinod Daniel, Dr MacLaren North and Graham Ormsby. The delegation highlighted the capacities and capabilities of both groups and the intentions to undertake development work for the Railway Heritage Division. AusHeritage were requested to submit an EOI detailing capacities and areas of interest that could be pursued.
International museums peak body ICOM’s Kyoto meet elects AusHeritage Chair to its Board
Renowned museum expert Vinod Daniel has been re-elected to the Board of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). This will be the second term on ICOM’s Board for Mr Daniel. ICOM, based in Paris, represents over 45,000 museum professionals and 20,000 museums from over 140 countries.
AusHeritage Board members Graham Ormsby, Roger Beeston and Robyn Riddett provided free spectacles in India through the Indian based charity India Vision Institute during their last mission to India in October 2018.