This publication originates from an ongoing project, which began in 2008, By that time the Museum Rietberg had received Alice Boner's photo- graphic archive, which had been kept over the years by her great nephew, who in turn inherited it from Alice's sister Georgette Boner. Hence, when the project began, the Museum Rietberg was in possession of Alice Boner's entire "material" legacy consisting of her art collection, photo- graphs, library, her own artistic records (drawings, sketches, paintings) as well as personal documents such as diaries and letters.
Thanks to the systematic support of the Boner Foundation for Art and Culture and Memoriav (Association for the preservation of the audiovisual heritage of Switzer- land), the Museum Rietberg was able to launch a project to preserve and catalogue the diversified material consisting of thousands of documents. The aim was to digitize and incorporate all the archive material into the muscum's database and to make it accessible on its online platform.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India), Mumbai, takes special pleasure in presenting the collaborative exhibition, "Alice from Switzerland- A Visionary Artist and Scholar Across Two Continents". This is our first collaborative exhibition with the Museum Rietberg, Zurich. The exhibition was conceived during the visit of Dr. Albert Lutz, Director, and Dr. Johannes Beltz, Senior Curator, in early 2012. The cultural relation- ship between the institutes goes back to the 1970s. In light of globalisation and modern museum practices, we have reframed our relationship. These are the principal categories through which we now function: a) a cultural exchange programme, b) the circu- lation of cultural artefacts, and c) a museum education programme.
Alice Boner (1889-1981) was one of the most fascinating but relatively little known Swiss artists of the twentieth century who travelled to India with Uday Shankar in 1930 to support his dance troupe. She main- tained this relationship with him and his troupe for a few more years before deciding to settle down in Varanasi for the rest of her life. In recognition of her contribution to Indian art and culture, the President of India awarded her the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in 1974.
Alice Boner (1889-1981), the Swiss sculptor and painter, led a fascinating and unconventional life whose passion cannot easily be grasped. She never stood still, never rested and constantly pushed ahead with new projects. Being an artist herself she became a patron who supported other artists. In 1935 she migrated to India to immerse herself in the Indian way of life. Shortly thereafter she started to cultivate an interest in Indian art history, developed her own art theory and took part in a broad transcultural exchange with inter- national intellectuals. Not without cause, the University of Zurich awarded her with an honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1969 and in 1974 she received the Padma Bhushan from the President of India, Shri V. V. Giri.
The experience of living in two continents and the remarkable range of her multi-faceted interests deem her a true cultural ambassador. Alice Boner contributed significantly to making India's culture known abroad. With Uday Shankar, she played a key role in the renaissance of Indian dance as a reputable art form and made it known worldwide. Through her artwork, her scholarly publications, and her collaboration with various artists she greatly added to a sensitisation to and understanding of Indian art throughout the world.
Book's Contents and Sample Pages
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