in conversation with Arun KhAnnA

interview

PEOPLE & PErSOnS

ThapaSangeeta thapa, the curator,

the traveler, and the die hard trail blazer for the artS in

nepal, ShareS her SenSibilitieS on what it meanS to impact a

Society from a platform that ShowcaSeS cultural dialogue

Sangeeta

in cOntEmPOrAry Art hAS brOught nEw ASPEctS in ArtS And itS curAting?Definitely, we need to be cognizant of the global trends in the arts and move ahead instead of being stuck in a time warp. However there is no point in aping these trends without understanding the philosophies that have galvanized such movements  

At An intErnAtiOnAL LEvEL, hOw much Of nEPALESE Art ArE yOu AbLE tO tAKE AbrOAd fOr ExhibitiOnS?I have only managed to take shows to India and Pakistan – on a private level. We have no funding or support from the government or any cultural foundations to take Nepalese art abroad. The costs involved are high for a private institution like Siddhartha Art Gallery. 

AS A curAtOr in A cOuntry LiKE nEPAL, whAt hAvE bEEn yOur PrOfESSiOnAL cOnStrAintS?The Siddhartha Art Gallery is totally dependent on the sale of art works – the sales have been abysmal in comparison to say ten years ago.

why?Due to the political uncertainty in the country which has directly impacted business – there is no confidence in a robust market emerging even in the near future and this has hampered sales.   Art is the very last priority on the corporate list. The lack of finances have inhibited us from growing and moving on to projects that could embrace the entire nation. 

whO iS yOur rOLE mOdEL AS A curAtOr? Closer to home Pooja Sood from Khoj in India , she is everywhere- she knows how

to garner global interest for her art projects in India and to fundraise at an international level …she is all over the place giving talks on art and everyone appreciates the incredible  work she is doing with the local communities .

in A timE Of SOciAL nEtwOrKing, bLOgS, And hundrEdS Of viSuAL OutLEtS On thE nEt, hOw dO yOu SEE thE PhySicAL SPAcES Of An Art gALLEry AS A PLAtfOrm fOr ExhibitiOnS? This is the new reality if you are not out there in cyber space-facebook, blogging, tweeting you may just get left behind – also more and more virtual galleries, and virtual museums will emerge defying the conventional space of the physical gallery  

whAt chALLEngES yOu mOSt AS A PErSOn? The bigger the challenge the greater the seduction – I’m a sucker for pain. My motto  - no pain , no gain   

whAt ArE thE nEw PrOjEctS yOu ArE wOrKing On currEntLy? The Second Kathmandu International Arts festival which will be held in November 2012.

dO yOu thinK EnOugh iS dOnE tO EducAtE And PrOPAgAtE yOung PEOPLE On thE rich hEritAgE Of ArtS in nEPAL? Not at all – our elementary text books need to be

rewritten giving emphasis to our culture. More schools need to visit  museums as museums are the repository of our culture.  Local  schools, local communities and clubs need to feel an ownership of their heritage and culture. The museum must also project itself as a community space for learning about our history and culture, with dance, theater, music, literature and art workshops. Electronic and digital media too needs to be utilized  to educate young people about their heritage.

hOw much hAS trAvELLing inSPirEd yOu tOwArdS thE ArtS? Travel is the greatest teacher. I have learnt more from my travels, visiting museums and galleries, talking to people from different     communities than I have learnt in schools and universities.  

with itS muLticuLturALiSm, hOw wOuLd yOu dEfinE thE brEAKuP Of tArgEtEd AudiEncES Of Art gALLEriES And thE ArtS? Multiculturalism is creating an equal space for diverse cultures. Today   museums and galleries have to be aware of the evolving demographics- new programs need to be designed which are sensitive to these changes –if we think  the target audience is   fixed, we will stagnate – museums and galleries    need to design new programs constantly taking into mind what is happening in the country.  

with whAt ObjEctivE did yOu StArt yOur cArEEr AS A curAtOr? I started my career as a curator in 1987, this was when we established the Siddhartha Art Gallery with the objective of showcasing contemporary Nepali art and serving as a platform for cultural dialogue between national and international artists.

hOw dO yOu SEE thE dEvELOPmEnt Of thE ArtS in nEPAL SincE

yOu StArtEd curAting in thiS cOuntry?I think the contemporary art scene was in a state of limbo in the 1980’s- no MFA programs, a diploma in Fine Arts which restricted our artists from moving forward…however despite all the limitations the artists and galleries really struggled to give shape & definition to the art movement…today there is an undeclared revolution in the field of art, music, literature and the media. Each feeds off

the other, we have a vibrant art scene now. However a lot still needs to be done at the governmental level and by private stakeholders  to nurture and develop it further.

hOw dO yOu dEcidE thE ArtiStic fiELd Of thE ExhibitiOnS thAt hAPPEn in SiddhArthA Art gALLEry? Variety, quality and innovative expressions at a national and international level

dO yOu hAvE Any SPEcific fiELdS Of intErESt fOr yOur curAtOriAL PrActicE? I have always been intrigued by projects that bring the community together ...where art reflects  important socio-political issues. Art for peace, the status of women, climate change, new age slavery ....I think art holds a mirror to society and can impact change 

dO yOu thinK thE nEw And digitAL mEdiA uSEd

i think art holds a mirror to society and can impact change.

By priority, defining the artist’s building blocks; Inspiration, talent, industriousness,

networking, trainings, fundings?

iS thErE A POint Of cOnvErgEncE thAt yOu LOOK fOr bEtwEEn thE nEPALESE And intErnAtiOnAL PrActicES Of PrESErving And Exhibiting Art? Or ShOuLd thE APPrOAchES bE cuLturE SPEcific? The intersections and point of convergence between Nepali and international practices of preserving and exhibiting art...boils down to education and economics...Today Nepali art managers and museum curators are invited all over the world to see how Museums and Galleries curate and preserve their shows, we know how things should be done but we don’t have the resources to back us up.  

yOur mOSt EndEAring ExPEriEncE AS A PrOmOtEr Of thE ArtS? Though the work I have been doing for the arts has not been acknowledged by the government of Nepal, I feel proud that international arts bodies have been taking note of what I have been doing. I am  now invited to attend various summits, seminars and conferences  across the world. 

OnE thing thAt yOu wOuLd chAngE AbOut thE buSinESS Of curAting On immEdiAtE bASiS? Register the gallery as a Cultural Foundation

interview

‘talent, inspiration, trainings,industriousness, networking, fundings’