Introduction

The Kathmandu Triennale is Nepal's premier international platform for contemporary art and the largest contemporary art festival in South Asia. Organized by the Siddhartha Arts Foundation (SAF), the Triennale has evolved from its origins as the Kathmandu International Art Festival to become a globally recognized event that brings together artists, curators, and cultural practitioners from around the world.

Set against the backdrop of Kathmandu's rich cultural heritage, the Triennale takes place across multiple historically and culturally significant venues throughout the city. This unique setting creates a dialogue between contemporary artistic practices and Nepal's artistic traditions, offering visitors an immersive experience that extends beyond conventional exhibition spaces.

Each edition of the Triennale is developed with a distinct thematic focus, addressing pressing global concerns while maintaining a connection to local contexts. Through its innovative programming, community engagement initiatives, and educational outreach, the Kathmandu Triennale has established itself as a vital platform for cultural exchange and artistic discourse in Nepal and the wider region.

History & Evolution

The Kathmandu Triennale traces its roots to the Kathmandu International Art Festival (KIAF), which was first held in 2009. Founded by the Siddhartha Arts Foundation, the KIAF was established with a mission to promote Nepali arts and culture on a global stage. The inaugural edition of KIAF focused on environmental issues, bringing together artists to explore themes of climate change and sustainability.

Following a successful second edition of KIAF in 2012, the event was reformatted as the Kathmandu Triennale in 2017, adopting the more established triennial model. This transition marked a significant evolution in the event's scope and ambition, expanding its artistic and curatorial horizons while maintaining its commitment to social engagement.

The first Kathmandu Triennale, held in 2017, was curated by Belgian artistic director Philippe Van Cauteren under the theme "My City, My Studio / My City, My Life." This edition featured over 60 artists from Nepal and around the world, with exhibitions spread across multiple venues in Kathmandu.

Subsequent editions have continued to grow in scale and international recognition. The 2022-23 edition, titled "Kathmandu Triennale 2077," was led by Artistic Director Cosmin Costinas and co-curators Sheelasha Rajbhandari and Hit Man Gurung. It featured over 100 artists and collaborators from more than 40 nations, cementing the Triennale's status as a significant event in the global art calendar.

Curatorial Approach

The Kathmandu Triennale distinguishes itself through a unique curatorial approach that emphasizes inclusivity, diversity, and cultural dialogue. Each edition features a different curatorial team, bringing fresh perspectives and methodologies to the event while maintaining a commitment to the Triennale's core values.

Central to the Triennale's curatorial philosophy is the blurring of boundaries between "art" and other indigenous crafts and cultural practices. The curatorial teams often work to challenge Western-centric definitions of contemporary art, incorporating traditional Nepali artistic forms alongside more conventional contemporary art practices. This approach creates a rich tapestry of visual and experiential encounters that reflect Nepal's complex cultural landscape.

The Triennale also places significant emphasis on research and community engagement. Curatorial teams often spend extended periods in Nepal, conducting field research across the country's diverse regions and engaging with local artists and craftspeople. This process of deep research and dialogue ensures that the Triennale is grounded in local realities while engaging with global conversations.

Additionally, the Triennale has consistently worked to expand traditional exhibition formats through a robust program of performances, workshops, lectures, and educational initiatives. This holistic approach to exhibition-making transforms the Triennale from a static display of artworks into a dynamic platform for knowledge-sharing and cultural exchange.

Exhibition Venues

One of the most distinctive aspects of the Kathmandu Triennale is its use of historically and culturally significant venues throughout the city. Rather than being confined to conventional gallery spaces, the Triennale activates a diverse array of sites, creating a journey through Kathmandu's rich architectural and cultural heritage.

Patan Museum

A 16th-century UNESCO world heritage site that once served as a royal residence of the Malla dynasty, situated amid Newa-style temples in Patan Durbar Square.

Bahadur Shah Baithak

Built in the 1790s by the Gorkha dynasty as a center for military strategy, featuring large doorways originally designed to accommodate war elephants.

Nepal Art Council

Founded in 1962 under the patronage of King Mahendra, initiated by leading Nepali modern artist Lain Singh Bandel, is one of the country's largest art venues.

Taragaon Museum

A modernist structure designed in 1972, restored and reopened in 2014 with a unique archive reflecting efforts to preserve Nepal's cultural and architectural heritage.

The use of these historic spaces creates a unique viewer experience, where art is encountered not in the white cube of contemporary galleries but within spaces that bear the physical traces of history. This approach has become a defining characteristic of the Triennale, distinguishing it from many other international art events and creating a distinctive sense of place and context.

Recent Edition: Kathmandu Triennale 2077

The most recent completed edition of the Kathmandu Triennale, titled "Kathmandu Triennale 2077," took place from February 11 to March 11, 2022. Originally scheduled for 2020 and subsequently postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this edition was led by Artistic Director Cosmin Costinas with co-curators Sheelasha Rajbhandari and Hit Man Gurung.

The title "2077" references the Nepali calendar year corresponding to 2020-21 in the Gregorian calendar, when the exhibition was initially planned. The curatorial team chose to retain this title despite the postponement, acknowledging how the pandemic had shaped the project and created a nonlinear relationship with time that reflected the exhibition's themes.

This edition featured over 300 artworks by more than 100 artists and collaborators from 40+ countries. It was distinctive in its focus on artistic practices and perspectives from communities often marginalized in mainstream contemporary art discourse, with particular attention to indigenous artistic traditions from Nepal and beyond.

The exhibitions were staged across five culturally and historically significant venues in Kathmandu, creating a rich journey through the city's architectural and cultural heritage. The program was complemented by a series of performances, talks, and educational initiatives that extended the Triennale's reach beyond the exhibition spaces.

Upcoming Edition: Kathmandu Triennale 2026

The Kochi Biennale Foundation has announced that artist Nikhil Chopra and HH Art Spaces will lead the curatorial team for the 6th edition of the Kathmandu Triennale, scheduled to take place from December 12, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

Nikhil Chopra is an internationally recognized artist whose practice combines live art, drawing, photography, sculpture, and installation. Based in Goa, India, he has exhibited at major international events including Documenta 14, the Sharjah Biennale, and the Venice Biennale. He founded HH Art Spaces in 2014 with artist Romain Loustau as a platform for fostering artistic experimentation and dialogue.

In his statement on the upcoming Triennale, Chopra has emphasized the significance of Nepal's geographical and cultural positioning: "The very edge of the peninsula of the Indian Subcontinent is the setting for an international contemporary art exhibition. Perhaps the most international corner of the world, Kerala is where boats from distant lands have harboured to trade and exchange aspects of the human legacy in the form of objects, edibles and consumables for thousands of years."

The curatorial vision and theme for the 2026 edition are still developing, but the appointment of Chopra and HH Art Spaces suggests a continued emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches and the blurring of boundaries between different artistic practices and traditions.