The first presentation from Kathmandu Triennale 2017’s series of art lectures titled My Studio/ My Life commenced on Saturday with a talk by Dutch artist Bart Lodewijks. The one-hour series is co-organised by Evoke Café and Bristo and is being held in the Café’s premises in Jhamsikhel.

Kathmandu Triennale 2017 is the latest iteration of Kathmandu International Art Festival, which was organised in 2009 and 2012 in the past with the goal of promoting Kathmandu Valley as a vibrant hub for contemporary world arts. The precursors of the non-profit event, organised by Siddhartha Arts Foundation, were among the largest art events in the South-Asian Sub-continent, then. 

KT 2017 will have on exhibit works by more than 65 artists from around the world. The upcoming edition, of which the exhibitions start from March 24 (pre-event programmes have already started), is curated by Philippe Van Cauteren (Belgium).

During the presentation, Lodewijks screened two short documentaries on his own work and talked about how the city is his working place-the theme of the triennale is The City, My Studio/ The City, My Life. The artist, in the start of the millennium, moved out of his studio and since then has based his practice primarily in public and private spaces. He uses white chalk to draw on two-and -three-dimensional surfaces.

Although not a graffiti artist, Lodewijks bases a majority of his work outdoors; the idea is to let the weather get the better of his works, eventually. The primary aspect of his art practice, he says, is to let people accept him and his work as he progresses work. 

Like the Dutch artist, six other artists from different countries will be presenting on various aspect of their work and artistic processes-in the same location-in the days to come. Ciprian Muresan (Romania), Kasper Bosmans (Belgium), Lee Kit (Hong Kong), Mithu Sen (India) and Diana Tamane (Latvia) will be presenting on March 13, March 14, March 16, March 22 and April 3, respectively, starting 5:30 pm. Kathmandu Triennale is also organising several other art events throughout the month of March till April 8.