video courtsey: Sanjeev Maharjan
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYSwcKb54fI&app=desktop
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Kiran Maharjan's Mural for YS2017
video courtsey: Sanjeev Maharjan
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYSwcKb54fI&app=desktop
Reportage
The Financial Express, Sunday, 24th December
Read here:
https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/if-you-save-art-art-will-save-you-says-riyas-komu/987506/
Read here:
https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/if-you-save-art-art-will-save-you-says-riyas-komu/987506/
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Research trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh 2017
Bangladesh is comprised of eight districts - with Dhaka being the prime conglomeration situated in the centre of the nation's geography. Dhaka also came to be more centralised with an intent of the government to create a fresh capital for the country of Bangladesh. While the main language of the country is Bangla, one finds it with various dialects across different districts. As one prepares to land down on Bangladesh from the sky, the landscape of numerous river-fingers is evidently observable. The waters have principally oriented the place culturally - in what they eat, live and think. Moreover, industries are mostly located near the waters.
Meanwhile, our visit to Bangladesh was with respect to selecting artists for the second cycle of the Young Subcontinent Project that is to take place in Goa in December 2017 under the umbrella of the Serendipity Arts Festival. The purpose of our visit was to understand the cultural and political landscape of the place - that which is the principal concern that the present project aims to address. Over our short stay, we visited artist studios, cultural enthusiasts, patrons on one hand, and cultural institutions, museums and art spaces from where we gathered a sense of the art field in the country. There are a several art schools in the country, however many artists also go to Kolkata or Baroda in India to study art. Earlier art wasn't a viable field in the country, however the recent opening of the market and the need for filling the void for marketing, visual branding and communication have made it an acceptable vocation in Bangladesh. In popular culture, Bollywood further allows access to understand English and Hindi. Dhaka film industry is mostly famous for their focus on art films.
Ruxmini Chaudhury, from Samdani Foundation was our key point of contact to navigate Dhaka and it's artscape. We were joined by Farzana Urmi, who was one of the selected artists for the young Subcontinent artists for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2016. We began our journey by visiting the studio of well known Bangladeshi Photographer Shahidul Alam. Although we were unable to meet the artist himself, we were able to look through his exhibition space that hosted the exhibition of the state of affairs in Bangladesh. Alam's photography is mixed with activism and social concern. He is also the founder of one of Drik picture library as well as one of the premier photography institutes Paathsaala in Dhaka. Riyas was observant enough to notice that photojournalism and photography is one of the most thriving visual art forms in contemporary Bangladesh. The historical reason for the emergence of photography as an artform in Bangladesh needs further investigation.
In the meantime, we also visited Counter Foto - another photography institution that has been founded by the young Saiful Haq Omi. As the name suggests, Counter Foto "represents a counter discourse, a counter representation, which promotes dialogue and activism". It is a small space that teaches photography and holds other programs like lectures and workshops on the subject. It was quite inspiring to see young photography enthusiasts sit up in the small library / photo-collection of Counter Foto on the upper floor and spend quiet time looking at visual material. Counter Foto is instrumental in raising a post colonial voice, taking photography ahead of just documenting native Bangladeshi life from its poverty and pain. It enables photographers within the country to look at their environment with empathy and find new energy within its content.
Industrialist Rajeeb Samdani broadened our knowledge about the art scene in Bangladesh at his residence, which itself has a collection of some of the best contemporary art works from across the world including Anish Kapoor to Zaha Hadid along with Rabindranath Tagore. Over dinner, Mr. Samdani brought to light that people in Bangladesh are much open to consuming music as art, however, other forms are still to receive equal attention. Much of Bangladeshi art is not collected by the State or native patrons, rather, collectors from outside, he explained. Talking of this, Samdani recollected of the time of 1971 when Bangladesh became independent. Immediately after receiving freedom, Bangladesh went into the hands of the military who did not have much interest or knowledge about its native art. Besides, the new people in power were themselves figuring out what to do and how to handle the newly formed State. The Pakistani Statesmen in this period were still the more conscientious ones, and they were the ones who actually collected some of the art works of prominent artists, including those of one of the first Bangladeshi sculptors. In this manner, much of the work of Bangladeshi artists from the earlier generation is in the present day Pakistan. (Samdanis worked hard on acquiring this work back for their country)
On the other hand, the Government's understanding of contemporary art is very limited. Thus they are not able to value the work of young Bangladeshi artists. In addition, unfortunately the works of young Bangladeshi artists is still not winning the confidence of the veteran artists of the land due to ideological differences. Thus in a limited discursive space, with little encouragement from their seniors or the State, the artists from Bangladesh seem to prefer moving out to other countries where their work is appreciated and where it finds more meaning. With the identification of this crisis, Samdanis have now commissioned a private museum to the well known architect Kasef Choudhury, where they aim to give place to much of their collection, as well as contemporary artists' work from Bangladesh through the Samdani Art Foundation.
 |
| Dhaka from the flight window |
 |
| Dhaka from the flight window |
Meanwhile, our visit to Bangladesh was with respect to selecting artists for the second cycle of the Young Subcontinent Project that is to take place in Goa in December 2017 under the umbrella of the Serendipity Arts Festival. The purpose of our visit was to understand the cultural and political landscape of the place - that which is the principal concern that the present project aims to address. Over our short stay, we visited artist studios, cultural enthusiasts, patrons on one hand, and cultural institutions, museums and art spaces from where we gathered a sense of the art field in the country. There are a several art schools in the country, however many artists also go to Kolkata or Baroda in India to study art. Earlier art wasn't a viable field in the country, however the recent opening of the market and the need for filling the void for marketing, visual branding and communication have made it an acceptable vocation in Bangladesh. In popular culture, Bollywood further allows access to understand English and Hindi. Dhaka film industry is mostly famous for their focus on art films.
Ruxmini Chaudhury, from Samdani Foundation was our key point of contact to navigate Dhaka and it's artscape. We were joined by Farzana Urmi, who was one of the selected artists for the young Subcontinent artists for the Serendipity Arts Festival 2016. We began our journey by visiting the studio of well known Bangladeshi Photographer Shahidul Alam. Although we were unable to meet the artist himself, we were able to look through his exhibition space that hosted the exhibition of the state of affairs in Bangladesh. Alam's photography is mixed with activism and social concern. He is also the founder of one of Drik picture library as well as one of the premier photography institutes Paathsaala in Dhaka. Riyas was observant enough to notice that photojournalism and photography is one of the most thriving visual art forms in contemporary Bangladesh. The historical reason for the emergence of photography as an artform in Bangladesh needs further investigation.
In the meantime, we also visited Counter Foto - another photography institution that has been founded by the young Saiful Haq Omi. As the name suggests, Counter Foto "represents a counter discourse, a counter representation, which promotes dialogue and activism". It is a small space that teaches photography and holds other programs like lectures and workshops on the subject. It was quite inspiring to see young photography enthusiasts sit up in the small library / photo-collection of Counter Foto on the upper floor and spend quiet time looking at visual material. Counter Foto is instrumental in raising a post colonial voice, taking photography ahead of just documenting native Bangladeshi life from its poverty and pain. It enables photographers within the country to look at their environment with empathy and find new energy within its content.
Industrialist Rajeeb Samdani broadened our knowledge about the art scene in Bangladesh at his residence, which itself has a collection of some of the best contemporary art works from across the world including Anish Kapoor to Zaha Hadid along with Rabindranath Tagore. Over dinner, Mr. Samdani brought to light that people in Bangladesh are much open to consuming music as art, however, other forms are still to receive equal attention. Much of Bangladeshi art is not collected by the State or native patrons, rather, collectors from outside, he explained. Talking of this, Samdani recollected of the time of 1971 when Bangladesh became independent. Immediately after receiving freedom, Bangladesh went into the hands of the military who did not have much interest or knowledge about its native art. Besides, the new people in power were themselves figuring out what to do and how to handle the newly formed State. The Pakistani Statesmen in this period were still the more conscientious ones, and they were the ones who actually collected some of the art works of prominent artists, including those of one of the first Bangladeshi sculptors. In this manner, much of the work of Bangladeshi artists from the earlier generation is in the present day Pakistan. (Samdanis worked hard on acquiring this work back for their country)
On the other hand, the Government's understanding of contemporary art is very limited. Thus they are not able to value the work of young Bangladeshi artists. In addition, unfortunately the works of young Bangladeshi artists is still not winning the confidence of the veteran artists of the land due to ideological differences. Thus in a limited discursive space, with little encouragement from their seniors or the State, the artists from Bangladesh seem to prefer moving out to other countries where their work is appreciated and where it finds more meaning. With the identification of this crisis, Samdanis have now commissioned a private museum to the well known architect Kasef Choudhury, where they aim to give place to much of their collection, as well as contemporary artists' work from Bangladesh through the Samdani Art Foundation.
Dhaka is infamous for it road traffic - no amount of planning can help you get anywhere in time! It can be frustrating to be stuck on road for long hours without anything to do. Ruxmini informed to us that inspite of the high taxation on automobiles (800%), the amount of cars on the street do not go down. There is no centralised system of public transport - just like Kathmandu. There are no efforts by the State government to provide for such a need, or intervene into the traffic situation. The only modes of public transport that exist are the buses and rickshaws - both fuel and people driven. The sate of roads is fair. Dhaka has a good stock of modern buildings, lushes of green land.
The Bangladesh Parliament building built by Louis I Kahn remains one of the most celebrated architectural projects of the country. Indeed, the monumental scale gives a lot of hope and inspiration to the youth and public. Kahn's architectural imagination to keep the campus accessible to the public without having any boundary walls has unfortunately lost value today. Farzana Urmi, who accompanied us around the site recounted her experiences from childhood when the entire campus was available for all kinds of play. Today, the campus is fenced and protected, leaving the public in a mixed feeling about the barricade. Riyas and I had the opportunity to take a tour inside the building, where we marvelled at the monumental spaces of the project. The perfect alignments, large cutouts and lofty volumes echo Kahn's ideas of silence and spiritual space.
 |
| Ahmed Rasel showing his works to Riyas Komu |
 |
| Students waiting outside Counter Foto Photography Institute in Dhaka |
 |
| Riyas Komu discussing ideas at Counter Foto |
 |
| Visit to Artist Studios: Riyas Komu listening to Mizanpur Rahman Chowdhury |
 |
| Facility of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy |
 |
| Palash Bhattacharjee showing his works to Riyas Komu in the Kala Academy corridor |
 |
| Reetu Sattar explaining her ideas to Riyas Komu |
 |
| The Dhaka Parliament Building designed by Louis I Kahn |
 |
| Independence Museum, Kasef Chowdhury |
 |
| The Bangladesh Independence Museum designed by Kasef Chowdhury |
 |
| Dhaka Rikshawalas |
 |
| The vibrant campus of Dhaka University |
 |
| Urbanity - Dhaka |
 |
| Dhaka Roads |
 |
| Towns around Dhaka |
 |
| Exhibition at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy |
 |
| Riyas at Shahid-ul-Alam's photo gallery |
 |
| In discussion: Riyas with Farzana Urmi and Ruxmini Chaudhuri |
 |
| A street view around the city |
 |
| Road traffic in Dhaka |
 |
| Riyas observing work of Rahman Chowdhury at his studio |
 |
| Riyas Komu discussing works with Marzia Farhana |
 |
| Work in Progress: Rahman Chowdhury |
 |
| Installation at the Independence Museum, Dhaka |
 |
| Installation at the Independence Museum, Dhaka |
 |
| Central Contemplation hall at the Independence Museum, Dhaka |
It might be worthwhile to recount our experience at the Dhaka International airport on our way out of the country...As the primary international gateway to a country, airports often index the economic, cultural, social and political state of affairs of a country. At a glance, one will be taken over by the predominant presence of male bodies at the Dhaka airport. On a closer look, one realises the mass exodus of male labour from Bangladesh to the middle-east evident through the visas on their passports. Questions of flight details about Saudi or Dubai and their schedules are perpetually murmuring in sheepish voices, being asked to educated / literate people by the local immigrants. Having waded through a confused and unorganised queue at the dysfunctional ticket counter that left us with an impression of the lack of management and apathy, we were circled by these young men at the threshold of immigration counters. To most of them we appeared approachable and educated enough to help them with filling their immigration forms. What was more surprising was their unfazed trust in handing over their passports to strangers for registering their personal details within the forms. Riyas kept attending to their innocent pleas to fill up the immigration form slips until I intercepted. I suggested these men sternly (feeling discomforted with their lack of confidence) to fill up their own forms, which I was ready to guide through. However, I soon realised it wasn't the space to do so. Rather, they weren't in a position to receive.
At that moment, I was caught in a mixed feeling of helplessness and despair. How was it that a country that exports so much human labour to the prospering lands did not treat their own public with minimum grace - in extending them counseling counters on how to work out intimidating immigration formalities? How could a population be(come) so under-confident that they could unquestioningly trust strangers with their most intimate stately documents like passports? The airport was quite a feudal environment, holding a public raised with strange insecurity - one that arises from the failure of the State to deliver its subjects the basic minimum amenities; a public that exhibits loss of faith in its very governance...Such insecurities have made a lot of citizens of South Asian countires to take several constitutional aspects of survival in their own hands.
To be sure, these are precisely the questions that come to subversively shape the curatorial concern of the Young Subcontinent project. The trip left me with these important reflections, those which also made my engagement and belief in the project more meaningful. How do native artists reflect upon these issues through their work? Do they confront them, or reflect upon them, or evade these questions to bring out completely different dimensions of their cultural landscapes? The evasion, or denial if at all, is also a necessary response to negotiate these politically charged landscapes. Through what factors do art practices get shaped in these South Asian countries? These are interesting questions that the Young Subcontinent project opens up for a broader dialogue and contemplation during the festival. Artists and ambassadors shall demonstrate their responses to such questions through exhibition and dialogue.
 |
| Dhaka Airport |
 |
| Dhaka Airport |
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Research Trip to Nepal, 2017
In his introduction to the Marg issue on Nepal conceived under the rubric of "Nostalgia and Modernity", editor Deepak Shimkhada informs us, "Since the time of the Malla Kings (1200-1769), the Kathmandu valley has been essentially urban, with its three major cities of Kantipur, Lalitpur and Bhadgaon (Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur). But it is surrounded in large part by a rural setting whose artistic expressions were moulded by agriculture." When we landed in the Kathmandu valley, our observation was quite similar. Resting in a secure valley surrounded by hills of Shivapuri, Phulchowki, Nagarjun and Chandragiri on the four sides sides, Kathmandu is one of the "most developed and populated places in Nepal" (Wikipedia). It has been an important economic hub since it lies at the cross roads of Himalayan trade routes.
Landing in Nepal, one is reminded of the potency of a land that is yet to embrace modernity completely. With low key buildings and a thriving street life culture, Kathmandu is active and ready to take on new developments. For example, over the last year, the city-wide water pipeline project has kept the city disturbed. Filled in dusty haze due to the dug up roads for this infrastructural project, vehicles and people navigated the place in masks covering their nostrils. In addition, projects for road widening and repairs after the earthquake are ongoing at several places within and outside the city.
Artist Studio Visits:
Over our trip to Nepal, Riyas and I visited several artist studios, groups and institutions and attempted to understand the art scene in Nepal. Our key point of contact was Nepali cultural enthusiast Sangeeta Thapa, also the owner of the Siddhartha Art Gallery in Kathmandu - a space that has actively foregrounded young talent with a lot of enthusiasm and care in the country over the last two decades. Several other people helped us move around, amongst whom were Roshan Mishra, the Director of Taragaon Museum and artist Hitman Gurung, one of the founder of the artist group Artree.
Artists from the valley share a deep sense of camaraderie with each other and share a supportive bond. We observed how the studio space of Hitman Gurung and Sheelasha Rajbhandari- that is an extension to their own house becomes a shared space for exhibiting and working for several artists on different occasions. Over our visit, the duo arranged to invite many young practitioners of art together at their studio over an evening cup of tea and snacks.
Seeing through the artist works, we found the common themes of personal histories & identity, migration and human trafficking surfacing time and again. Several art practitioners are grappling with continuing oral historical narratives into their contemporary times by archiving photographs and recording stories in the form of text. Since Nepal does not produce several secondary and tertiary goods for itself, a lot of people often opt to leave the country to find work. The stories of longing and travel, migration and distance fuel much of the contemporary artistic production. On the other hand, the imported goods have set a process of consumerism which is another aspect that has recently come to re-question the constitution of indigenous Nepali culture.
The earthquake of 2015 is an important aspect that reappears as a theme in the artists' works. While some artists have developed distinct visual languages to record the post-earthquake landscape within their works, others have become more sensitive towards political apathy and invested in concern towards their national heritage. We met, and got to know of a few artists who lost their family members in the catastrophe, but have channeled their energies productively into creating more sensitive art. On a completely different note, an artist informed us how the earthquake caused a lot of physical trauma and people don't really want to talk about it.
The political restiveness of Nepal over the last decade where the country has transitioned from monarchy to democracy to a republic have created an upheavel in the present everyday of the place. For a long time, Nepal continued to remain under monarchy that was understood as one of the key problems in the development of Nepal and coming to terms with the modern day world. Feudal practices of monarchy still allowed exploitation and created a situation where a medieval Nepal lived in the modern world. Around 2005-07, the country undergoes a political transformation through People's movements where already existing major parties come together to formt he new republic of Nepal and join for election. There were about seven to eight parties believing in leftist philosophy, Hitman briefly explained, all of whom have now merged in the Armed forces. Now, there is a demand for a new Constitution of the country that shall include the rights of all kinds of people who live in Nepal.
The above political shifts have caused a number of civil wars and disturbances in the country leading to a lot of human and infrastructural loss. Artists, in some cases, are trying to mediate the situation and preserve histories of places that are run down and destroyed in such events.
Nepal is known for its metal sculptures. The process of making brass sculptures is being practised in Nepal since the 1st century AD. The lost wax technique for casting brass sculptures is being used in Nepal since the 6th century AD. It is understood that Nepalese master craftsmen went to China to share their knowledge of brass moulding and casting techniques. Ironically, now, China is mass producing the works with the same technique and exporting it back to Nepal at cheaper prices. This has severely affected the livelihoods of traditional Nepali craftsmen. It has become hard to find brass craftsmen in Nepal. Tejesh Man Shakya's father, has been a mastercraftsman and teacher of sculpture at the University for long. However, the number of students enrolling for the sculpture program are dropping. Sculptor Tejesh Man Shakya informed us that there were only two enrollments in the program over the last year. This year, the university is considering removing the programme completely from the art school.
Over our discussion, Tejesh showed us the ancient scripts written possibly in Sanskrit, explaining the codified ways of working with metal. These books have been preserved over generations by the artists, who however, doesnot really know how to decipher the text. The quantity and quality of brass sculptures available for purchase in the markets of Nepal tell us that the craftsmen are able to produced highly skilled metal work inspite of it being mass produced. The workmanship of even smaller works is high, which talks about the proficiency and expertise of these artists. Nepal may be one of the few places where such traditional techniques of making such brass work are still practiced, Ms. Thapa suggested.
Our visit to the workshop of large scale brass sculpture manufacturer opened us to the magnanimity of scale that these craftsmen can achieve. About eleven storey high (110 feet or more) brass sculptures have been erected by the craftsmen of Nepal - hollow brass statues shaped to complex forms supported through an internal steel scaffold designed by a team of structural engineers. Such feats collapse boundaries of art and architecture and bring us to re imagine the potential of what human mind can still achieve. Often, such large works are made with no real requirement for elaborate drawings. Rather, they are estimated in scale by basic visual understanding and wisdom gained through years of practice, transferred from one hand to the next.
On the last day, we made visits to the National Arts Council in Nepal that was hosting young artists' work (along with the folk and veteran painters' works) as well as the School of Art and School of Education at the Kathmandu University. The intention was to understand the state of Institutions and the art infrastructure available in the country. While there are substantial veteran artists in Nepal practicing the traditional Newari and Thangka paintings with Buddhist and Hindu subjects influenced from neighbouring regions of Tibet, China, and Buddhist culture in India; we found a lot of contemporary expressions the subjects of whom however require nourishment. The energy of the students at the School of Art in Kathmandu university was fantastic. The sheer rigour and the work produced with the support of the young faculty -those who were themselves practicing along with their full time teaching commitments - was enthusing. The openness extended to students to experiment in different mediums of expression and the scale at which the final year students were executing their works was encouraging. One could see how much the place would benefit from a wider exposure and exchange with the world. All institutions, in general demand for more infrastructural support from it's government. However, given the recent physical state of affairs in the country, Nepal may need to restrategize how it would balance it cultural and infrastructural needs. The post earthquake landscape needs to be resurrected, for tourism was one of the important contributors for Nepali economy.
Landing in Nepal, one is reminded of the potency of a land that is yet to embrace modernity completely. With low key buildings and a thriving street life culture, Kathmandu is active and ready to take on new developments. For example, over the last year, the city-wide water pipeline project has kept the city disturbed. Filled in dusty haze due to the dug up roads for this infrastructural project, vehicles and people navigated the place in masks covering their nostrils. In addition, projects for road widening and repairs after the earthquake are ongoing at several places within and outside the city.
Artist Studio Visits:
Over our trip to Nepal, Riyas and I visited several artist studios, groups and institutions and attempted to understand the art scene in Nepal. Our key point of contact was Nepali cultural enthusiast Sangeeta Thapa, also the owner of the Siddhartha Art Gallery in Kathmandu - a space that has actively foregrounded young talent with a lot of enthusiasm and care in the country over the last two decades. Several other people helped us move around, amongst whom were Roshan Mishra, the Director of Taragaon Museum and artist Hitman Gurung, one of the founder of the artist group Artree.
Artists from the valley share a deep sense of camaraderie with each other and share a supportive bond. We observed how the studio space of Hitman Gurung and Sheelasha Rajbhandari- that is an extension to their own house becomes a shared space for exhibiting and working for several artists on different occasions. Over our visit, the duo arranged to invite many young practitioners of art together at their studio over an evening cup of tea and snacks.
Seeing through the artist works, we found the common themes of personal histories & identity, migration and human trafficking surfacing time and again. Several art practitioners are grappling with continuing oral historical narratives into their contemporary times by archiving photographs and recording stories in the form of text. Since Nepal does not produce several secondary and tertiary goods for itself, a lot of people often opt to leave the country to find work. The stories of longing and travel, migration and distance fuel much of the contemporary artistic production. On the other hand, the imported goods have set a process of consumerism which is another aspect that has recently come to re-question the constitution of indigenous Nepali culture.
The earthquake of 2015 is an important aspect that reappears as a theme in the artists' works. While some artists have developed distinct visual languages to record the post-earthquake landscape within their works, others have become more sensitive towards political apathy and invested in concern towards their national heritage. We met, and got to know of a few artists who lost their family members in the catastrophe, but have channeled their energies productively into creating more sensitive art. On a completely different note, an artist informed us how the earthquake caused a lot of physical trauma and people don't really want to talk about it.
The political restiveness of Nepal over the last decade where the country has transitioned from monarchy to democracy to a republic have created an upheavel in the present everyday of the place. For a long time, Nepal continued to remain under monarchy that was understood as one of the key problems in the development of Nepal and coming to terms with the modern day world. Feudal practices of monarchy still allowed exploitation and created a situation where a medieval Nepal lived in the modern world. Around 2005-07, the country undergoes a political transformation through People's movements where already existing major parties come together to formt he new republic of Nepal and join for election. There were about seven to eight parties believing in leftist philosophy, Hitman briefly explained, all of whom have now merged in the Armed forces. Now, there is a demand for a new Constitution of the country that shall include the rights of all kinds of people who live in Nepal.
The above political shifts have caused a number of civil wars and disturbances in the country leading to a lot of human and infrastructural loss. Artists, in some cases, are trying to mediate the situation and preserve histories of places that are run down and destroyed in such events.
Nepal is known for its metal sculptures. The process of making brass sculptures is being practised in Nepal since the 1st century AD. The lost wax technique for casting brass sculptures is being used in Nepal since the 6th century AD. It is understood that Nepalese master craftsmen went to China to share their knowledge of brass moulding and casting techniques. Ironically, now, China is mass producing the works with the same technique and exporting it back to Nepal at cheaper prices. This has severely affected the livelihoods of traditional Nepali craftsmen. It has become hard to find brass craftsmen in Nepal. Tejesh Man Shakya's father, has been a mastercraftsman and teacher of sculpture at the University for long. However, the number of students enrolling for the sculpture program are dropping. Sculptor Tejesh Man Shakya informed us that there were only two enrollments in the program over the last year. This year, the university is considering removing the programme completely from the art school.
Over our discussion, Tejesh showed us the ancient scripts written possibly in Sanskrit, explaining the codified ways of working with metal. These books have been preserved over generations by the artists, who however, doesnot really know how to decipher the text. The quantity and quality of brass sculptures available for purchase in the markets of Nepal tell us that the craftsmen are able to produced highly skilled metal work inspite of it being mass produced. The workmanship of even smaller works is high, which talks about the proficiency and expertise of these artists. Nepal may be one of the few places where such traditional techniques of making such brass work are still practiced, Ms. Thapa suggested.
Our visit to the workshop of large scale brass sculpture manufacturer opened us to the magnanimity of scale that these craftsmen can achieve. About eleven storey high (110 feet or more) brass sculptures have been erected by the craftsmen of Nepal - hollow brass statues shaped to complex forms supported through an internal steel scaffold designed by a team of structural engineers. Such feats collapse boundaries of art and architecture and bring us to re imagine the potential of what human mind can still achieve. Often, such large works are made with no real requirement for elaborate drawings. Rather, they are estimated in scale by basic visual understanding and wisdom gained through years of practice, transferred from one hand to the next.
On the last day, we made visits to the National Arts Council in Nepal that was hosting young artists' work (along with the folk and veteran painters' works) as well as the School of Art and School of Education at the Kathmandu University. The intention was to understand the state of Institutions and the art infrastructure available in the country. While there are substantial veteran artists in Nepal practicing the traditional Newari and Thangka paintings with Buddhist and Hindu subjects influenced from neighbouring regions of Tibet, China, and Buddhist culture in India; we found a lot of contemporary expressions the subjects of whom however require nourishment. The energy of the students at the School of Art in Kathmandu university was fantastic. The sheer rigour and the work produced with the support of the young faculty -those who were themselves practicing along with their full time teaching commitments - was enthusing. The openness extended to students to experiment in different mediums of expression and the scale at which the final year students were executing their works was encouraging. One could see how much the place would benefit from a wider exposure and exchange with the world. All institutions, in general demand for more infrastructural support from it's government. However, given the recent physical state of affairs in the country, Nepal may need to restrategize how it would balance it cultural and infrastructural needs. The post earthquake landscape needs to be resurrected, for tourism was one of the important contributors for Nepali economy.
In this regard, the recent Kathmandu Triennale, originally the KIAF (Kathmandu International Arts Festival) was recently initiated earlier over this year. With the inclusion of artists from world over, the festival drew the much needed attention, however, the general feeling amongst some artists we met was that the three-year cycle is a long one to wait for. Artistic mediations are urgent for a post-calamity and politically transforming Nepal. The country will certainly benefit from stronger curators and collaborations with countries across in the eventual years. It is here that our visit found it's true intent. It was clear that the "Young Subcontinent" project must work towards building such relationships and support young artists who look forward to building a new Nepal. Through the support of Serendipity Arts Trust, the project aims to facilitate these artists to create works that will help them assert their artistic capacities and come into dialogue with other young artists around them.
Another important dimension opened up over this visit was 'travel as an act of pedagogy'. The numerous intellectual exchanges between the Curator and the young artists foregrounded the Nepali artists' eagerness and receptivity to feedback and dialogue on their ongoing work. Riyas spent considerable time in patiently listening to artists and responding with articulate comments that would help them sharpen their ideas, at the same time (re)position their works within contemporary world order. Sometimes operating in and out of the feudal order, an external viewpoint allowed artists to test their own voices and stand points. In this process, the 'traveling teacher' becomes an integral instrument of change - one that catalyses the intellectual environment within the secure space of the artist - where he/she may feel comfortable and confident to express their ideas much freely. It may be important for us to consider the potential of such a method of art education. Perhaps the project will find new things, thus, along the way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)