Meera Krishnamurthy

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA will result in five to seven short animated pieces that will bring to life a selection of objects and archives from the SL Bhatia Museum, Library and Archives. The aim is to make science accessible and fun for children and to tell the story of human persistence in medicine in an imaginative and engaging manner. This project is a collaboration with the SL Bhatia History of Medicine Museum, Library and Archives that is housed in the first floor of the Museum Block in St John’s Research Institute, Bangalore. The museum is named after Major General Sohan Lal Bhatia (1891-1982), the first Emeritus Professor of the Department of the History of Medicine in St Johns Medical College. The museum  brings alive the significant phases of the journey of medicine through its exhibits, which include medical instruments, models, photographs prints that depict the important episodes and personalities connected with the history of medicine. It also houses the History of Medicine and Humanities Library and Archives which has a large and rare collection of medical books from circa 1790-to the present.  Meera Krishnamurthy is the Principal Investigator for this project. 

Meera is an animation filmmaker based in Bangalore. She has a Master’s degree in Digital Media Arts from Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore and a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology. Her interest lies in working at the intersection of art and science. She has worked with archives earlier and used animation to make films for them (permanent exhibit for Reis Margos Fort, Goa currently in production) as well as mobile applications (Safarnama). A selection of her films has been screened at international festivals like Animafest Zagreb and Dubai Expo2020. Given her experience she is best placed to be the Principal Investigator for this Foundation Project of IFA.

The aim of the project is to make the objects in the collection more engaging by using visitor-centered, artistically rendered, technology-based exhibits. Most importantly, in this project animation will be used to convey complex scientific concepts in an exciting and meaningful way for a target group of children between the age groups of 12 to 18 years. 

The Principal Investigator has planned the research systematically, so that the pieces produced will be relevant for the students and valuable for the museum. Her primary research will focus on the museum’s objectives vis-à-vis the target group. The study will include a detailed examination of the science textbooks of standards six to 12 in order to make the experience academically useful. Based on the research, a survey will be conducted amongst the children to determine the objects that will be considered for animation. Once the objects are selected, the Meera will weave connections between the exhibits and material that is available in the library and archives. The visual treatment will be derived from the artifacts themselves. She will employ a combination of techniques such as hand drawing, stop motion, digital drawing, cut-out and puppets, and after effects. The pieces will be accompanied by music that will be especially composed. 

The outcomes of the project will be five to seven short animated pieces that will be played on the museum’s iPads and can be inserted among the permanent collection of the relevant objects; a short film in both English and Kannada of four to five minutes which will include all the animated pieces strung together which can be screened at the museum and circulated on social media to increase the digital footfall; and a booklet designed in English and Kannada that can be handed out to visitors to make the museum experience a tangible one. This booklet will contain information about the animated exhibits, relevant hands-on experiments and games. Special tours and walkthroughs will be developed around the animated pieces. The Principal Investigator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be the animation pieces, the short film, the booklet and recordings of other public programmes. 

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees. 

This project is made possible with part-support from Parijat Foundation.