Following a few wrong turns and wondering if I was heading in the right direction, I eventually arrived at the Goa Chitra Museum in the solace village of Benaulim, Goa. Upon entering the museum, I was briefed about its contents and was accompanied by a guide. The Goa Chitra Museum is a conglomerate of 3 museums - Goa Chitra, Goa Chakra, and Goa Cruthi.
As I walked around the museum and listened to the guide describe the artifacts, I was curious to know who the collector and founder of the museum was. I Googled and found that all artifacts in the Museum were collected by Victor Hugo Gomes. After reading a few articles about his journey, I asked my guide if I could meet him. In response, she informed me he is not on the premises. I finished the tour and walked out of the Museum a little disappointed (as I couldn’t get to see him). As I walked out of the gate, I immediately recognised the man sitting at the ticket counter - it was the founder himself. As we both share a passion for preserving ancient art forms and culture, I went up to him and introduced myself.
Victor Hugo Gomes is a restorer by profession. When based in Lucknow as a painter, he joined a team from M S University (Baroda) in researching tribal art and lifestyles in various places in the North side of India. It was in Lucknow where he noticed that antiques, which held immense value and belonged to the Nawab’s culture, were being sold on the street. They had reduced these antiques to no more than adornments for buyers' lifestyles. But his quest to collect antiques started at home as a teenager when he used to explore his house's store room where all the unwanted, neglected pieces were kept like valve radios, clay pots, baskets, etc. He often found himself looking at these pieces and wondering how they were made, which material was used, how old would it be, etc. His quest for answers led him to research more about the artifacts.
On being offered a Lalit Kala Academy (Goa) scholarship, he chose to study “Experimental transitions in the world of art”. This subject covered the use of different materials and processes in art over time. He furthered his restoration techniques by joining a course in restoration and conservation of art conducted by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. On completion, he returned to Goa in 1991. He then became the curator of the Museum of Christian Art. During his tenure, he noticed that the artifacts which held historical value were being neglected and dumped in corners of the Church, sold in Mapusa market, etc. Soon he realised the story and usage of these artifacts would never be found if sold or neglected. He became even more determined to collect them, preserve them in Goa itself and research the significance of them. He worked in different fields to ensure he had enough money to buy these artifacts. He was even called a Madman for his unwavering enthusiasm for collecting antiques.
Furthermore, his experience with various historians led him to realise that most of them relied heavily on book knowledge to understand the artifacts. They instructed him to read various books to learn more about the significance of the artifacts he’s collected. After meeting various artisans, he realised the book knowledge was incomplete. An artisan's knowledge of materials and craft is carried from family to family, generation to generation, and unless these are not documented, the craft will die out. In the process, he began documenting different communities, their crafts, etc., and today, he is Goa's best-known "Collector", a collector of pieces of history scattered across Goa’s villages and towns.
When I questioned him about why the art forms are disappearing today, he is of the opinion that, these artisans and communities aren't given much support. The Kings were great patrons of arts and culture. They provided every support and promotion possible to artists. The artists were so advanced that they made sure that whatever they had created could be returned to the soil, making it sustainable. Today, things are different. Artists and communities receive limited government support. The majority of consumers do not even know what sorts of materials are being used in the manufacture of their products. In addition, there is no capacity-building of how artisans should price their products, adapt to modern times, etc. Secondly, he criticises the education system because it primarily focuses on western knowledge. Students are cloned to be export models, they are rarely exposed to what this country offers or how advanced our ancestors were.
In regard to his future plans, he is working on expanding the museum to include other themes. In addition, he is creating miniatures of various artifacts so that the children can experience what these items were like a hundred years ago.
It is not every day that you meet people who share the same vision. Being able to talk to Victor and hear about his journey was such a rewarding experience. I am more than confident about the direction I am heading in. "Traditional art forms are passed down from generation to generation. It is only those particular families who are the true torch-bearers of the art form, and they alone have authentic information. Our first step in preventing the disappearance of the art form is to place the artists at the forefront and make them celebrities. Otherwise, we will only witness it seeing its end". This statement by Victor is going to keep me motivated for the REST of my life.
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