KATHMANDU
Nepal has debuted at the Venice Biennale showcasing a different facet of Nepal - something different from the way it is perceived by the West. Artworks by Ang Tsherin Sherpa at the 59th edition of the Biennale question this perception - how closely does it correspond to reality? 'Tales of Muted Spirits – Dispersed Threads – Twisted Shangri-La', the exhibition of a painting, a sculpture and an installation art, tries to break the stereotype and tell the world that Nepal is much more than something just exotic, sacred, and remote.
The contemporary artworks in particular tell the tales of the Sherpas of Kham Valley of Tibet who migrated to the valleys of Solukhumbu of Nepal, as per the artist.
Elaborating more on this, Sherpa said, "Asia's highlands have always baffled people who try to exert control over the difficult landscape. The migration of the Sherpa peoples' ancestors from Kham Valley of Tibet to the valleys of Solukhumbu was mainly prompted by disputes between the various Vajrayana schools and dissimilarities in thoughts. They encountered problems that were both familiar and unusual as they arrived in this unfamiliar terrain."
The artworks on display at the Biennale in three different forms - painting, sculpture, and installation - serve as those ancestors' messages of unspoken things, said Sherpa.
The 24 Views of Luxation is a painting - acrylic on canvas - that presents a fragmented image of Garuda (mythical creature with halfhuman, half-bird form), regarded as divine deity in Buddhism. A total of 24 different canvases with frames of limbs, beaks, eyes, wings, vajra (thunderbolt), and a snake have been brought together to create a loose image of the Garuda - it seems like the body parts of the creature are dislocated.
Sherpa, who created the painting in collaboration with artists Karma Lama, Pasang Lama, and Phurba Hyalmo, shared, "The Khyung (Garuda) is a symbol that has had countless interpretations over the course of millennia. The partially human, partially animal form is viewed as a guardian deity who guards against illness and bad luck in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
However, it also serves as a symbol of subjugation outside of the context of healing, as it was used to subdue the Nagas (mythical creatures that are half-human, halfsnake) and neutralise their venomous power. Postcolonial-Asian state configurations draw upon the mystical and mythical Garuda to represent their own might as protectors, but ironically this figure also underscores its role as persecutors. The broken and unstable nature of the visions presented by nation-states and institutionalised faiths is revealed by the deconstruction of such categorical symbols."
"These lesser gods, in their frightening, cunning, and whimsical incarnations, are occasionally seen with the same level of distrust that characterises how borderland populations are seen by the governments. Similar to how nomads travel across borders to find better pastures for their herds, cultural motifs can change and take on new meanings of life as a result of their own rhythmic movement," said Sherpa.
Here, the artist calls Garuda the lesser god because it is considered both good and evil - "evil because Garuda constantly attacks Nagas". The artist added, "The duo are considered opposite to each other," and the artist seems to refer to the governments as Garuda while nomads and refugees are like the Nagas, constantly marginalised by the government.
Similarly, the installation piece Entangled Threads is a set of a hand loom in which a half-woven galaicha (rug) is hanging. On the floor are balls of 14 yarns of wool connected to the galaicha. Such yarns are also seen stacked in a basket near the loom. The rug has been woven by Asha Rai and Sunil Bahadur Moktan, and Sherpa created the installation in collaboration with another artist of studio Mt Refuge. The wooden loom, as per Sherpa, is 60 years old and was taken to the exhibition venue from Nepal.
"The practice of weaving strands of woolen threads was prevalent in Junbesi village of Solukhumbu. Women initially used to weave carpets for their children but later they started doing it commercially - competing with an already existing carpet industry - to cater to the demands of foreign consumers," revealed Sherpa while pointing out that "each hand-woven carpet features a vertical grid that contrasts centuries-old knotting techniques with modern designs and business practices''.
Despite the fact that "rug is one of the main exports of Nepal and has a big contribution to Nepali economy", the artists "weaving rugs are not given importance in Nepal", as per Sherpa who took the installation to Venice to make his point: "The practice of weaving rugs using hands need to be recognised and preserved."
At the same time, the artist also feels that people from every nook and corner of the country are getting modernised.
"The highlands are taken as remote places but that is not the reality. People living in such places have been involved in trading and business for many decades. However, developed countries perceive us as marginalised. Thus, through the exhibition at Venice Biennale, I am satirising the way we Asians are looked upon by the European and American people," he said.
The bronze sculpture titled Muted Expressions on the other hand has a jumble of mudras (hand movements), legs and snakes hanging in midair defying gravity and convention. The mudras were made as individual pieces and later wielded to a unified piece. There are two mirrors above and below the sculpture so that one can see the artwork from every angle.
Created in collaboration with Bijay Maharjan and Regal Studio, the sculpture was cast by Durga Shrestha, Ramesh Shrestha, Sajal Siwakoti, and Sangita Maharjan, informed Sherpa.
The sculpture looks complicated and with so many hands, legs and snakes jumbled up, it gives a sense of uneasiness, which relates to the history of the Sherpa community, as per the artist.
"A 500-year history of Sherpas is filled with their quest for better lands overseas as well as in the mountain passes. Whether it is Namche, Kathmandu, or New York, these places connect scattered Sherpa families. Communities reformulate codes in settings with unfamiliar vocabulary as migrants. A bitter loneliness persists in silence as there is nostalgia for the things that have been left behind because of migration."
Nepal is one of the 58 countries from across the world taking part in the Biennale - a total of 213 artists are participating from these countries and 180 of them are first-time participants in this worldwide exhibition. Sherpa is one of the newcomers and the only representative from Nepal.
His works have been curated by artist duo Sheelasha Rajbhandari and Hit Man Gurung at Sant'Anna Project Space One, located in the area between the Arsenale and Giardini in Venice.
"Sherpa's works provide a critical examination of the complexities of modern identities entangled with tradition and globalisation. Sherpa's itinerant life is similar to that of many Himalayan communities and his ancestors, who led nomadic lives. Sherpa is an artist whose ancestors belong to Tibet, born in Kathmandu, lived in America for a time, and returned to Nepal.
Numerous ethnic groups from Nepal's borders and highlands are insecure about themselves as they feel they are distrustful and ignored even within the country. His work also explores the themes of migration, alienation from one's birthplace, and the feelings of not fitting," Gurung shared of Sherpa and his artworks.
On a broader level, "to make known the richness of culture of Nepali art" through the exhibition at the Venice Biennale "we share our tales, and, in doing so, contest the reductionist perspective that dominates perceptions of Nepal and the Himalaya area", shared Gurung.
Like Sherpa, he is also of the opinion that "Asia's hills have always exuded a sense of mystique, holiness, and isolation.
However, communities have long benefited from mobility, flexibility, and the sharing of knowledge. These subtleties are frequently obscured by the 'Shangri-La' effect, which endures in the minds of the general public. Due to this perception, Himalayan cultures are paradoxically portrayed as rich in spiritual knowledge, and physically robust but materially poor. A Western conception of the Himalayan area still plagues international perception of Nepali art: a ubiquitous, idealised view that portrays Nepal as unchanging, pure, and unaffected by time and modernity."
And the Venice Biennale is "a chance to demonstrate to the world that over the course of centuries we have managed to maintain, transform, and expand our customs with time and modernisation" as per Gurung.
While the artist and curators have tried to present an image of Nepal other than that of the romanticised version before the world, the participation at the Venice Biennale is also a significant achievement for the art community of Nepal as Sherpa said, "Also we have tried to represent the contemporary art of Nepal to the world.
Western people recognise us as a county rich in traditional and historical art, but they are not familiar with our contemporary art. Thus, through this exhibition the international audience will also get familiar with Nepal's art practices."
At the same time, Sherpa feels, "Nepali art has made a huge improvement in these five years as students of art at universities have increased.
There are more art galleries, and more art exhibitions are taking place. Thus, I feel it is the right time to represent Nepal before the world through artworks".
Sharing his experiences at the Venice Biennale, he recalled, "The Venice Biennale attracts a large number of tourists and visitors. Many foreigners are getting to know about Nepali art for the first time. They are learning about Nepali artistic expressions and establishing connections with Nepali art."
However, Sherpa is very clear that "we require international support, but the thing we need most to protect our art and culture is local support, which I think is lacking in Nepal".
Adding to this, Gurung said, "Nepal's participation in Venice is the fruition of years of unappreciated work by various Nepali artists."
The exhibition was co-commissioned by the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts and the Siddhartha Arts Foundation, with its lead global supporter from the Rubin Museum of Art.
Stating about Nepal's first time participation in the Venice Biennale, Sangeeta Thapa, Founder of the Siddhartha Arts Foundation, said, "To get Nepal to participate in the prestigious Venice Biennale has been my lifetime dream that has finally come true. We hope the government will see the opportunity to participate in the Venice Biennale in a more significant way in the future. We sincerely hope it won't be Nepal's first and last participation in the Venice Biennale."
Kanchha Kumar Karmacharya, Chancellor of Nepal Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), added, "It is a great achievement that Nepal has been listed in the Venice Biennale, the world's largest exhibition of art. We had tried to participate in the previous (58th) edition too but had been unsuccessful. This time, Nepali artworks have been introduced at an international level and it has given us hope that we will be able to participate in more such international exhibitions in future."
A version of this article appears in the print on August 7, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
