New Delhi, The inaugural edition of the Sa Ladakh Art Biennale will bring together 12 international and Ladakhi artists and artist duos to explore a new paradigm of art that responds to the climate and environment while “embracing regeneration as a methodology”.
The biennale, billed as the “world’s highest regenerative art biennale” at an altitude of over 3,000 metres, will be curated by artist Vishal K Dhar with Tsering Mutob Sidhu as co-curator under the theme “Signals from Another Star”, organizers said.
Taking its cue from the Ladakhi meaning of “sa” meaning “soil”, the biennale will be held across eight locations along the 230-km Leh-Kargil corridor from August 1 to 10, “to revitalize villages, learning spaces and open landscapes.”
Participating artists from diverse geographies and practices will engage with the land, its memory, weather, trade routes, communities and history in site-specific artworks, calling for “new ways of seeing and understanding these conditions, while questioning how art can take responsibility for climate through a close connection to place.”
“We seek to transmit signals from high-altitude regions, where each action carries its own frequency, shaped by memory, weather, trade routes, communities and history,” Dar said in a statement.
Participating artists include Zahraa Batoul, Avantika Bawa, Shoboi Chongwe, Hellosweek/Desires, Tondup Dorjay, Shimat Dorji, Amrit Karki, Studio Edola, Tom Muller, Stanzin Samphele, Stanzin Tsebel, Stanzin Wangel and Urjin Zoa.
Rakhi Nikahitia, co-founder of Sa Ladakh, said the biennale’s idea of art that responds to the climate and environment is based on “long-term thinking, environmental responsibility, and collective care.”
“Renewal is embedded in the layers of the Biennale, from material choices and production processes to community engagement, education, communication and legacy,” said Nikahitia. “Looking at eight regenerative angles, the Biennale works across generations, highlights awareness of the cycle of life, and encourages collaboration between local communities, artists, science, architects and educators.”
He added that the Biennale will also test renewed standard operating procedures to translate these principles into practical working methods – “exploring how environmental responsibility, transparency and long-term thinking can effectively shape organizational, regulatory and production processes.”
Alongside the biennial exhibition, the program will span three special projects: an exhibition in the ancient city of Leh featuring five Ladakhi artists, supported by the Nikoy Foundation, to revitalize the site as a community-led cultural space; An international collaboration with the museum is underway as part of the Raising the Flags project, with six flags being presented across the biennial sites, including a new work by Ladakhi artist Scarma Sonam Tashi.
Another special project is an intervention led by Ayan Biswas with support from the Pacific Art Movement, to document medicinal plants in Cargill through alternative processes and school workshops, culminating in a biomass-based installation.
With regeneration as a guiding principle, the Biennale will also host residencies, workshops and community-led initiatives, making space for art, ethical engagement with local communities and pressing issues of global concern.
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