The Piramal Museum of Art promises rarely-exhibited works and state-of-the-art displays

Here's what a corporate involved in modern art can bring to the table – advanced technology, lighting, storage, insurance, display, protection and transportation of art works," is how Swati Piramal, vice-chairperson of Piramal Enterprises Ltd., put it while launching the Piramal Museum of Art at the rotunda atrium of the Piramal Tower edifice in Lower Parel.

The inaugural exhibition at the museum is reminiscent of a crash course in 300 years of Indian art history – from Dutch and colonial influences, to usual suspects like S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza and M.F. Husain and finally eclectic works like a (Jiten) Thukral and (Sumir) Tagra.

"Too many museums in India are dimly-lit and without qualified directors and staff. We want to distinguish ourselves through the fountain of research and educative shows with a novel exhibition design," she reveals.

All 63 artworks on display belong to the Piramal family; the entire collection of roughly 300 artworks documented in a 537-page book, Smriti, by the museum curator and Piramal Art Foundation director Ashvin Rajagopalan and Chennai-based Vaishnavi Ramanthan.

"The Piramals have gone all out in sharing their private collection to the public, like a private-public art initiative, a new and path-breaking idea. Every work has been chosen by a family member before buying," reveals Rajagopalan, also the family's art advisor.

Swati Piramal feels the Piramal Group with its initiatives in healthcare and education is like Homi Bhabha's brand of philanthropy with his efforts in science and art that gave Indian modernists and masters a platform post-Independence. "We're hoping to collaborate with other corporate families and bring works from outside Mumbai, to make art accessible to the public," she said.

It was Kishen Khanna's massive mural titled The Far Afternoon, a joyous commentary about Mumbai's diverse street culture with chaiwalla and bandwallas, that made the family notice the curiosity and appreciation for good art. "We put up a mini exhibition with this painting and few smaller works in March. Hundreds of people, including children and office-goers, thronged the place."

The gallery has a labyrinth structure, a circular periphery around a cubic setup, showcasing sculptures and paintings with detailed information cards. Rectangular openings for viewing multiple works at one go, interactive glass panels and outer surfaces throwing up artist quotes or queries like 'How did Modern Indian Art evolve?', state-of-art lighting with zero heat emissions are courtesy a design firm in Singapore. An attached garden to exhibit outdoor sculptures, currently a flock of realistic life-size sheep, and a study centre with books even outside the purview of art are meant for indulging at length.

But this is just a preview of good tidings. Like a new exhibition every three months – the next one is on Raja Ravi Varma covering his repertoire of mostly rarely-exhibited, along with a loan of 30 works from the Baroda museum by the erstwhile royal family that houses a large Varma collection. "We are exploring the corridors of the floors overlooking the atrium for this show," reveals Rajagopalan.

Student fellowships and an arts management course have already found takers. Lectures, workshops and publications in English and regional languages Marathi, are touted as crowd-pullers. A four-room art residency space with a garden of sculptures for mid-career artists will be unveiled in Thane on December 19.