Nepal’s premier global art platform ‘Kathmandu Triennale 2077’ begins

Team L&M

After a series of postponements due to COVID-19, Nepal’s premier international platform for global contemporary art, Kathmandu Triennale 2077 is finally happening. The fourth edition of the show looks to foster a healthy art ecology that is based on the exchange of knowledge through an expansive art exhibition as well as a robust educational outreach programme.

Considering the pandemic, the Triennale is being held in hybrid format, featuring an online-only programmes till February 28, while the physical venues will be opened to visitors from March 1. There are five physical venues in three clusters – Patan, Kathmandu, and Boudha. The Triennale also includes a series of curated public programmes, including performances, workshops, guided tours, seminars and more, parallel to the exhibition, which has over 100 participating artists showcasing over 300 artworks.

There are collaborators from over 40 nations, including Indu Tharu (Nepal), Ashmina Ranjit (Nepal), Puran Khadka, Jivarama (Nepal), Mohamed Bourouissa (France), Simon Soon (Malaysia), Citra Sasmita (Indonesia), Mireille Delice (Haiti), Mae Clark (USA), Ana Mendieta (Cuba), Zamthingla Ruivah (India), Chan Kwok Yuen (Hong Kong) amongst others. The exhibition has been curated by Kathmandu-based artists Hit Man Gurung and Sheelasha Rajbhandari while Cosmin Costinas is the Artistic Director.

The Triennale, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in Nepal in association with Siddhartha Arts Foundation, is the largest and most ambitious artistic project staged in the country so far.

Physical Venues of Triennale

Patan Museum is a UNESCO world heritage site and former royal residence of the Malla dynasty between 14th and 18th centuries, and sits amidst Newa-style temples in a section of the Royal Palace at Durbar Square, a portion of which served as a prison until 1990.

Bahadur Shah Baithak, built in the 1790 was used by the subsequent Gorkha dynasty as a centre for military strategy, as well as to house the arsenal.

Nepal Art Council was founded by leading Nepali modern artist Lain Singh Bandel in 1962 under the patronage of King Mahendra as one of the country’s largest art venues.

Taragaon Museum was designed as a modernist fantasy in 1972, and restored and opened in 2014 together with a unique archive reflecting the efforts to preserve Nepal’s cultural and architectural heritage, alongside the display of contemporary art.

Siddhartha Art Gallery was established in 1987, as one of Nepal’s main art spaces presenting and supporting Nepali and international contemporary artists of different generations.

 

Kathmandu Triennale 2077
Online-only programme: February 11–28
Venues open: March 1–31