KATHMANDU, Nov 5: The walls of narrow alleys, streets, courtyards, and major junctions in Patan have come alive with photographs telling compelling stories of Nepal and its people through different periods of time.
Related story
What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?
Collectively titled Photo Kathmandu, the first international photography festival in the country, and curated under the theme of 'Time,' the exhibition attempts to tell Nepal's history through the eyes of over 100 photographers from more than 31 countries, including Nepal.
The seven-day festival, which kick started on November 3, include the fascinating group of portraits by Finnish photographer Tuomo Manninen, who photographed Nepali professionals in the 90s, to images by Australian photographer Philip Blenkinsop documenting Nepal's political upheavals. There are also photos documenting lives of Raute, the last nomads of Nepal, and about life in Susta, a disputed area of land between Nepal and India.However, it's not just the photo exhibition Photo Kathmandu is centered on; artist talks and discussions, open for the public, has been taking place at Yala Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka till November 8. Likewise, a series of six workshops led by a host of photographers, artists and scholars from across the world have been ongoing for the past week and will continue until November 9.
The opening ceremony held at Patan Museum on November 3 saw the handing over of Rs 1.2 million to the Kwelachhi Chyasal Tol Sudhar Samiti to rebuild 'Lampati' – a local heritage site in Chyasal, Patan that was destroyed by the April earthquake. The funds were raised through a Special Print Sale that the festival had been promoting for the past four months. Mani Lama, veteran Nepali photographer was also presented with an Award of Excellence for his contribution to Nepali photography during the same event.
Organized by photo.circle, Photo Kathmandu aims to facilitate interaction between photography, history, anthropology and a wide array of arts.
