KATHMANDU

When you search the definition of a city, it is basically a big town with a population larger in relation to the amount of land. However, the definition of a particular city cannot be confined only to that term, as each city has its own tale to tell. And a group art exhibition 'Tale of a city' that began on October 29 at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babermahal, narrates the story of Kathmandu valley; the values the city people hold, and how the civilization is being changed throughout the time.

The exhibition showcases drawings, digital prints, and silver gelatin print by Film Foundry--Jagadish Upadhya, Abishek Shah and Rupesh Man Singh; Sujan Dangol, Anil Ranjit, Ashesh Dangol and Sharmila Shrestha.

In Sujan’s series of drawings using pen and ink, he illustrates the city as a nexus of identity—presenting the Newa collective as a structure that connects both the physical and metaphysical in space and time. He shared, “By using architecture and the city as a motif, Newa settlements are finely illustrated to evoke a sense of loss. The meditative process of erecting these gullies and communities on paper also serves as personal navigation of memories of an old Kathmandu, which no longer mirrors the one found today. Through myth and collective expression, I outline an identity urgently at risk of extinction. Without action, language may survive but it may also be the only heirloom the Newas bequeath down the generations.”

Likewise, Film Foundry in the photographs explores the tradition of Khokana. About the photographs, Jagadish explained, “We have used symbols to acknowledge the indigenous practices of Khokana, a Newa settlement located on the southern side of the Valley. The cultural and religious practices are different from the rest of the Newa community of the Valley. Unlike the others, they don’t worship idols. They use symbols. This is what intrigued and inspired us to work with symbols.”

The exhibition that explored the rich heritage, lifestyle, and tradition concluded on Monday.