A Year in the Gallery

Authored by Kruthika Sanjay, Experimentor, Science Gallery Bengaluru

With my first blog post, ‘A Day on the Floor’, I put down what an average day looks like for an Experimentor in terms of our public-facing roles. But the experience of an Experimentor goes far beyond the floor itself. While mediation continues throughout the year, the role of the Experimentor is constantly growing and evolving.

Every Experimentor has their own unique journey through the programme, but here, I am reminiscing about mine.

So welcome to ‘A Year in the Gallery’.

The Experimentor programme is many things. It is a mentorship initiative to Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB), it is a career break to some and a stepping stone into the working world for others. I fall in the latter category, with SGB being my first ever workplace and professional experience.

The CALORIE Experimentor programme began on the 4th of June, 2025.

I started the programme after an extended break which was initially to focus on my health but later became time to recalibrate and figure out what direction I really wanted my career path to take. I had never ventured outside of the sphere of academia and subsequently, my own comfort zone. I struggled with public speaking and communicating effectively in larger groups — skills I would most definitely need for a future in research. I came to SGB with the goal of pushing myself to do exactly what I thought I was incapable of doing. Now, I am leaving SGB with more than I hoped for when I first applied.

What drew me to the Experimentor programme was the promise of training. My first foray into a working space came with a lot of self-doubt which I hoped the training would help with, and it did! Two whole months dedicated entirely to training is not something many places offer, and the training was not only focused on the exhibition season, but also on developing skills and teamwork. The training did not end when I started my work on the floor. It was built into every stage of the programme. Every new task, project and venture I engaged in brought their own learning, while the SGB teams gave me the space to be creative and even make mistakes without judgement as I tried new things.

While I have become more confident in my spoken communication skills through this programme, writing is still what I find comfort in. So when I thought about documenting my journey, a blog was my first thought but it would be incomplete without the photos to go with it. (They truly do speak a thousand words!)

June

June existed in the New Media Lab. Tucked away in the corner of the second floor, it became a haven. A shared but exclusive space where I got to spend entire days reading, learning, having conversations and getting to know the people I would be around nearly every day of the next 14 months.

July

July was a transition. I watched the gallery morph into something that became a part of me, as CALORIE slowly took shape. It was also an inner transition. Learning the art of confidence and performing confidence.

August

August was the month of firsts. It was a nudge, maybe a shove…pushing me out of my shell. First forays into visitor engagement, student interactions, first walkthroughs. And of course, first actual work experience.

September

September was steady. An adjustment period. A month when a rhythm was born. Routines. Some habits were built, some were broken. The month was safe and fun. The Glasgow Course begins.

October

October was for reflection. Reflecting on self, work and life. A month of trying to find a balance between what I know, what I still want to learn and maybe a little bit of where do I go from here? Is work a part of life or is all of life work? Where does validation come from?

November

November was hard. Overwhelming. A flurry of thoughts, tasks and a struggle to find time.

The exhibition reached a peak and so did the stress. SLEs, Themed Walkthroughs, Assignments, Shoots and of course the Admin work. Through it all is the looming future. Application season opens. But! There was a refreshing retreat.

December

A lighter month at the Gallery, a heavier month outside. Future planning peaks as application season ends!

January

January was one of the highlights of my year. Ghibli walkthrough. 60 people. Nerves. Pride and accomplishment. This. This is what I came to the Gallery to do.

February

February was another milestone. The future becomes a little clearer. New mediators bring a much needed energy boost to the floor. Learning Resources shift the way we work.

March

March is a happy month. The gallery goes on. My first outreach is a success!

April

April brings a lot of travel. The future, beyond my time at the gallery, becomes much more real. Exhibition in a Box takes over everything. Prototyping is fun, endlessly re-working plans is decidedly not.

May

With May, Ghibli returns. Experimentor programming explodes! Creativity flows through the team. Time to start gearing up for Externships! We accidentally make a delicious bowl of Miso Ramen.

June

One of the most fulfilling months at the Gallery. Everything came full circle as I got to share the gallery with the externs! I loved the little taste of mentorship. The New Media Lab becomes home to a new set of Experimentors. You can feel the end approaching. We say some tearful goodbyes.

July

July remains a transition. Relishing the last chance to do the little things. Days at the gallery went from novel to mundane to tinged with a wistfulness and nostalgia. We will see CALORIE come apart just the way it took shape.

And in the blink of an eye, fourteen months that felt like a whole new life (in the best way possible) went by. I came here with hesitance but hope. I leave here with a new confidence, a plethora of experiences and opportunities that don’t come by that often, and maybe most importantly, friends and memories I truly cherish.