KATHMANDU: Contemporary art doesn’t restrict itself to the canvas. It breaks the canvas’ barrier and transcends into newer media which can include anything

be it installation art, graphic art, graphic design, photography, dance, et cetera.

It can mean here and

now, or another place in any other time.

Keeping this thought in mind six artists dealt with a common theme called Place in the first documentary screened by the

Kathmandu Contemporary Art Centre (KCAC) Film Club under their Art in

the 21st century series

on January 31.

Working on their common inspiration ‘Place’, the featured artists portrayed and elaborated the theme effortlessly. Every single thing in this world starts from a particular place and it could begin from anywhere. American artists Richard Serra, Sally Mann, Laurie Anderson, Margaret Kilgallen, Pepon Osorio and Barry McGee hailing from different medium of contemporary art express and relate their views in the documentary. Their specialisation requires a place to give it a more concrete meaning and to demonstrate their work of art. For Mann, photography needs to have ambiguity and it should be effortless with a touch of aestheticism. She says every form of art should be spontaneous and appealing to the masses. The photographic landscapes of hers make one relate to that place.

Similarly Serra’s approach to massive rolled steel plates has a depth and story of the place where it’s installed. Kilgallen and McGee’s figurative paintings blend with urban graffiti to comment on society.

The coordinators of the programme Wies Olde Riekerink and Jonas Wijtenburg from Holland, have been in Nepal since September last year. Talking at the programme Riekerink remarked, “We are here till July and will study how art is perceived in Nepal.”