Art for Earth's Sake
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www.fridayweekly.com.np Every Thursday | ISSUE 145 | RS. 20 SUBSCRIBER COPY 28 November 2012 | !# d+l;/ @)^( ISSN 2091-1092 9 772091 109009 www.facebook.com/fridayweekly ENTERTAINMENT An Indian by birth and a New Yorker at heart, Mita Hosali shares why even when some things about NY pick on her nerves, her 4 6 9 10 love for it lives on. 13 FEATURE EVENTS HALLOFFRAME GOURMET A marathon legend Witness a selection of 1974 AD was complete Find out more about in Nepal, Baikuntha photographic images from with Firoz Syangden the cafe which has been Manandhar, comments around Nepal by Thomas back in town for famous for its home-baked on what could improve Kelly, demonstrating the role the 6th edition cakes and pies since the conditions for current of adolescent girls in Nepali of Music by the flower-power days. Nepali athletes. society. Museum. Art for Earth’s Sake Citywide fest draws eco-artists from around the globe The Kathmandu International Art Festival is making a bold bid to be both a world-class festival and a voice in today’s environmental debate. Cutting-edge artists from 31 countries are here to make it happen. — Sally Acharya For more, turn to page 2 2 Issue 145 | 28 November 2012 Fr!day cover Art for Earth’s Sake f you love art, Kathmandu proachably hip Whitney Biennial. tistic vocabularies from dozens of present in data-driven reports phasis of the second Kathmandu can be a great place. But a non-Western location is no cultures and perspectives taking and news segments—is an imagi- International Art Festival, which For one thing, it must longer a bar to art-world promi- the place of words. native, outside-the-box, often has grown substantially since Ibe one of the world’s most nence. There are top festivals Let’s just take a few topics at quirky sensibility that can cut to the painting-focused debut in stunning cities. Despite its cur- these days in Istanbul, Turkey; random. Our food supply, for in- the emotional heart of issues and 2009, makes it a rare opportunity rent state of smoggy sprawl, its Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; stance. get us to think in new ways, much to see cutting-edge work of the identity is inseparable from its and even Dakar, Senegal. Bangla- How do the chickens we eat like good Socratic teachers. kind highlighted at the Venice aesthetic legacy. Kathmandu is desh has a lively arts scene and for dinner here in the developing There are artists in the festi- Biennale and other top festivals, still its swoop-roofed temples, its a biennale of its own. India and world get to our table as “mod- val grappling with timely matters but which Kathmandu seldom looming Bhairavs and Buddhas, Pakistan host art summits that ernization” sets in? Nameera straight out of the headlines— encounters. And the thought- the casual interplay of art and life draw critical attention. Ahmed offers a 21st century Pak- glacial melt, overpopulation, loss provoking, often challenging art at its corner shrines. Festival director Sangeeta istani counterpart to Upton Sin- of biodiversity—and timeless will be found not only in galleries But no one would argue that Thapa launched the triennial clair’s The Jungle and provokes philosophical and spiritual ques- and museums, but in traditional it’s a hub of contemporary art. At in 2009 after years of visiting questions about the real cost of tions that may relate to tradition- neighborhoods such as Nag Ba- least not yet. similar events around the sub- cheap meat. al art forms. They explore what it hal and architectural treasures That will change for one continent. “I thought, ‘Why not Look at her video-art piece means to live among manipulated such as Mul Chowk at Patan eventful month as the Kathman- Nepal?’ We have no reason to lag and then consider the glossy, nature in Finland, or flee ecologi- Durbar Square, where it will be du International Art Festival, behind,” she says. “We’re connect- high-tech world of the United cal catastrophe in the Balkans, or seen in the context of Nepal’s also known as Artmandu, draws don a face mask in Kathmandu, or artistic and environmental heri- artists from six continents to And the thought-provoking, often stand at the border of Haiti and tage. display their work, create their Dominican Republic viewing the “A lot of the artwork will installations and produce their challenging art will be found not stark real-world impact of differ- be centered around the historic performances at numerous ven- only in galleries and museums, but in ent political and economic poli- center of Patan, which is such ues around the city, from modern traditional neighborhoods. cies. an amazing place,” Thapa says. galleries and artists’ spaces to Participants were chosen by “We’ll be able to see the 21st cen- traditional chowks and historic ed globally, we don’t have politi- Arab Emirates as seen by a true international jurors and often tury in 16th century spaces. The courtyards. cal problems with our neighbors, global citizen, China-born Lan- work in such hard-to-categorize Kathmandu Valley was a center Even the Boudhanath stupa we’re in a good location. We’re re- tan Xie, who was raised partly in forms as installation and multi- for art in the past, and it can be will get into the act, with lights ally ready to host such festivals.” Bahrain and divides his time be- media art. The avant-garde em- once again.” ! playing across the stupa’s iconic There’s also another goal: to tween the United Arab Emirates At a glance shape to the sound of chanting show what art can bring to the and New York City. Move around during a collaboration between discussion about today’s press- his prize-winning digital installa- What Second Kathmandu International Art Festival Buddhist nuns reciting ancient ing issues. The participants in tion on fast food and see how the When texts and Eurpean artists wield- this year’s festival, with its theme “menu” changes. Are we really 25 November to 21 December ing 21st century technology. of ‘Earth|Body|Mind’, have a controlling the choices we make? What’s Ongoing art exhibits, performances, “happenings,” It’s a time for the city to see shared interest in the environ- What is the relationship between happening symposia, screenings, guided talks, master classes with what’s happening in contempo- ment as a subject matter. In effect, what we see and Arab culture? artists, collaborative events with environmental and youth organizations rary art and for the art world to it will be a huge international There will be as many questions see what Kathmandu offers as a conversation on humanity’s inter- (and possible answers) as viewers. Where Numerous locations around the valley (refer to the ‘in festival destination. Sure, it can’t action with the earth. Think of When it comes to social issues, numbers’ section) compete with the 117-year-old it as a miniature United Nations one thing artists bring to the To find out Visit artmandu.org for information on venues, times, Venice Biennale or the unap- symposium, with images and ar- debate—something not always more Saturday shuttle service and more page3 make your statement event surveillance KIAF in Numbers 3 Days of Symposiums – 26, 27 and 28 November at Patan Museum from 1 pm to 28 Days of Festival 5 pm Some of the performances and events 25 Nov • Performance by Rudra Band • Performances by Salil Kanika and ‘Pancha • Book Launch “Prerana and Lal Pila” by Buddha’ by Subima Shrestha Art Work by Lok Chitrakar Buddhisagar Chapain & Rumana Hussain • Performances by Leang Seckon, 27 Nov Cambodian with local community artists Gopal Kalapremi, Sunita Maharjan, Saurganga Darshandhari, and other displays by Gary Womell • Kora (3D projection) of Gaynor Sanjeev Maharjan, Birendra Pratap Singh, Sumeet Shakya, Sudarshan O’Flynn, UK at Bouddha Nath Stupa Rana, Sagar Manandhar, Narayan Prasad Bohaju, Mili Pradhan, • ‘Action Existence’ performance by Mekha Limbu, Prasiit Sthapit, Meena Kayastha, Sadish Dhakal, Mongolian artists - Nomad Wave • Performance by Valeria Geremia Sheelasha Rajbhandari, Sunil Sigdel, Jupiter Pradhan, Lok Chitrakar, 21 26 Nov 28 Nov Kirti Kaushal Joshi, Hitman Gurung, Asha Dangol. Nepali Artists • Speech by Indian artist Paula Sen Gupta and • PechaKucha Nite by Sujan Chitrakar performance by Nomad Wave at Kasi Restaurant. Cash bar available at venue. Artist/Dancer/ • Live Presentation of ‘Pakdai/Bikdai Choreographer: Maanche Haru’ by Gopal Kala Premi 29 Nov Valeria Geremia • Cycle Rally from Mangal Bazaar to Naag Daha and back with Kathmandu Cycle City • ‘Moon Ride’ by Roland Graf, Austrian 74 artist International Artists Performance Nomad Wave Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, 4 Nepal, 31 Netherlands, Saturdays Countries Pakistan, Palestine, Nepal Tourism Board, Boudha Nath, British Council, with Philippines, Poland, Central Zoo, Image Ark Gallery, Kathmandu South Korea, Sri Contemporary Arts Centre (KCAC), Metro Park, Mul Shuttle Lanka, Thailand, 16 Chowk of Patan Durbar Square, NAFA, Nag Bahal, Nepal U.S.A, United Art Council, Nepal Investment Bank, Newa Chhen, Patan Kingdom Venues Museum, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Summit Hotel Service feaissues that matter ture A Lifetime of Sports Baikuntha Manandhar, the marathon legend, reminisces his past while pointing out what we can do right in international sporting platforms. — Sumina Subba “ ack then, we all trained a khiladi, mismanagement and warm beds but an empty school in the big ground of Tu- lack of proper facilities always with straw beds waiting for us. dikhel. Rangashala was proved to be hindrance for de- The girls would sleep at one Bbuilt much later,” re- velopment.