Over 50 artists from more than 25 countries will be taking part in the inaugural Kathmandu Triennale (KT), which opens this weekend. The event replaces the Kathmandu International Art Festival (KIAF) that happened in 2009 and 2012 but was cancelled due to the devastating earthquake in 2015.
Other than this tragic event, Nepal has also suffered political unrest and has not had much exposure in terms of contemporary art. The KT, which takes place from March 24 to April 9 and is organised by Siddhartha Arts Foundation, is about rebuilding the city and shows much promise. It is a serious art show that looks to be well attended.
Curated by Philippe Van Cauteren, the artistic director of Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele, in Ghent, Belgium - who also recently curated a show from the Barjeel Art Foundation’s collection in Sharjah that is still running at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris - the event is in two segments: Exhibitions and Encounters.
Exhibitions will see the participation of leading international artists such as Kader Attia, an important French-Algerian artist and Oscar Murillo, a leading Colombian artist based in London. There will also be a large showcase of works by Nepali artists including Amrit Karki, Ashmina Ranjit, Bhuwan Thapa and Sujan Dangol. Encounters is an education programme that allows artists to work with the wider community.
* For the full line up of events visit kt.artmandu.org
