KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 12

The much-awaited Kathmandu Triennale 2077, an art festival featuring artistic, social as well as collective stories and narratives, was launched online on February 11. The art festival was originally scheduled to take place in 2020 but had to be postponed a couple of times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fourth edition of the festival, which has kicked off virtually and will also feature physical events, is organised by Siddhartha Arts Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

In the launch event, Prem Bahadur Ale, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said, 'It is important to preserve and promote art-history with pride.

It is a medium of expression for artists of many communities to promote their arttradition, and other cultural heritages in the diverse social environment of Nepal.'

He also hoped that the Kathmandu Triennale 2077 will play an important role in making Nepal a cultural tourism destination by promoting Nepali art and culture worldwide.

The exhibition of more than 300 artworks of over 100 artists from 40 countries on various themes will be held at different places like Siddhartha Art Gallery, Patan Museum, Bahadur Shah Baithak, Taragaon Museum, and Nepal Art Council in Kathmandu.

The event's press coordinator Urja Acharya said that the themes of the exhibition vary according to the venues of the exhibitions.

Some of the themes include ecology, political situation, and spirituality among others.

Sharareh Bajracharya, Director of Kathmandu Triennale 2077 informed that the festival helps to look at the local artworks beyond the European perspective.

She also said the exhibition amplifies the voice of Nepali art and counters dominant ideologies.

At the inaugural event, Sangeeta Thapa, Founder/ Chairperson of Siddhartha Arts Foundation, said that though the artists and the team members including her were infected with COVID-19, they never gave up their hope to launch the event. According to Thapa, the Triennale team has worked hard to make the event a reality exploring virtual and hybrid options, implementing safety and health protocols.

After the Triennale in Nepal, a selection of the works will also travel to Berlin, Germany as per Thapa, who called the festival the largest and most ambitious artistic event to be staged in the country to date.

She shared that the exhibition also serves to train the next generation about arts management in the country and the confidence to help them develop new skills for the growth of the local contemporary art scene.

'Our young artists, art practitioners, and writers will grow from this edition.

Conversation series, performances, and the art activities have been designed with great care,' Thapa informed.

The virtual exhibition of artworks is being be held from February 11 to 28 and physical exhibitions will take place from March 1 to 11.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 13, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.