Conflictorium

Adv. Sanju Nakhva 11 months ago

Conflictorium tries to imagine a peaceful society through an interplay between viewpoints on prevailing conflicts.

It was opened on 14 April 2013, and it was designed by Avni Sethi as a part of her final project. The building was originally known as The Gool Lodge, which was owned by Bachuben Nagarwala, a Parsi lady and the first trained beautician and hairstylist of Ahmedabad
This two-storey building has now been divided into several galleries, each presenting a different form expression of people's voices and thoughts.

The Conflictorium acts as a space that enables different section of the society to engage in various topics of conflict through artistic and creative ways.The Conflictorium was founded with the intention of educating the community about conflict through alternative forms of art and culture. The goal was to look at conflict from a different angle than it typically was, to look past its tragic past. Through this, the museum aims to show that conflicts are necessary in a society as they help it grow into an ideal society. Visitors are encouraged to experience the exhibits through their five senses.

The section of "Memory Lab" is an art installation in collaboration with the visitor community. Simple pickle jars are placed on shelves with little tags. Here, visitors can pen down stories or thoughts on some personal conflicts they have faced and preserve the memory in an interpersonal setting.

Gallery of disputes were designed by Mansi Thakkar. The main aim of this section is to highlight different types of disputes and their root causes within the framework of our social structure. The animal world has been personified here, and the gallery follows the story of a donkey. It draws inspiration from the animal fables of 'Panchatantra' by Vishnu Sharma and fictional stories like 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell As the visitor walks through the gallery, the story unfolds through the use of various sensory mediums like sounds, props, animations, light and shadows.'

This is a room right after the Gallery of Disputes, which deals with a similar theme as the previous section. Here, the section attempts to look at the nation and the though-leaders involved in the process of nation-building. Silhouettes of political figures like Mahatma Gandhi, B. R.Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Indulal Yagnik. Every figure is accompanied by a speech in their original voice, and it expresses their ideological views in a post-independent India. This part of the section is called Empathy Alley.

The moral compass room in the museum consists of a copy of the Indian Constitution is present. It is a pre 1977 version, and visitors are freely allowed to engage with the book. It attempts to make the constitution accessible to the general public as the knowledge of the constitution rights is essential for every citizen.

The very first part of the museum has defined the conflict timeline, which chronicles the violent and oppressive past of the state of Gujarat since its inception in 1960.

Along with the upper floor in stairways, their is a sound installation that talks about the original owner of the building, Bachuben Nagarwala. It takes an intimate look into her life and presents the layered history of the building itself. It is considered as in this House and That World.
At last, there is an end section of the museum called Sorry Tree. The peepal tree outside the Conflictorium has been turned into the 'Sorry Tree'. Here Visitors can hand a 'I am Sorry' card and write a letter for certain events for which they feel apologetic towards. The gallery spaces on the ground floor are fixed, meaning the display will not change. The first floor hosts an exhibition space, leased for about a month-and-half, where workshops, exhibitions, talks and shows are held. The first floor also has a 4-seater auditorium. The back and front yard are utilised for exhibits and performances. Paid residencies are also given out for two residents at once. These residents can then interact with them.

macedonboy 47 months ago

This Conflictorium is a museum about conflict and conflict resolution. I visited with a friend and I’m sorry to say that I did not get anything out of it. The ground floor contains some props, notes about conflict, psychology, empathy/sorry jars etc. The 2nd floor was just empty rooms.

This museum is totally overrated. It’s such a shame because I was so looking forward to seeing some creative ideas, but I didn’t see anything that provoked any new thoughts. The gist is that showing empathy and saying sorry goes a long way to resolving conflict.

Naman Thakar 47 months ago

This “museum” is more like a final-year art installation. The history of conflicts is not comprehensive, it starts post independence. The facts about communal and other types of conflicts in Gujarat are interesting, but not well presented - i.e. on cards in dimly lit spots. The different galleries house satirical and new media installations which had great potential but end up confusing the visitor, who is looking for a coherent message of the place.

The house itself is interesting, and the little front yard feels like a little forgotten pocket in time.