A first exhibition was held in Nepal, absolutely envisioned in what could be a life-changing event for some, given the circumstances. A second exhibition followed up, open currently in Finland. Both showcase the same 22 curated photos. In Dhungentar, we printed in PVC; while in Finland, in fine arts paper. Visitor could appreciate both qualities since we have brought home 3 out of 22, showcased currently in Kalasataman Vapaakaupunki, second floor REDI shopping mall in Kalasatama metro stop in Helsinki.
Several questions have popped up since our team is working truly out of deadline. The Sustainable Global Technologies Studio course ended in May, earlier this year, while we keep doing and doing. By November 24th, closing day of ´Nepali – An exhibition´, we will all have the chance to touch for the very first time – while officially launching – the photo book we titled ´Bound: Photography born in Nepal´. This book calls for an open question, simple as what does social cohesion mean to you.
While some of us will try to answer, some of us might attempt to keep an open question. That´s one of the reasons why we have developed this second, current exhibition named accurately ´Nepali – An exhibition´. Very simplistic, it tries to be a low threshold moment for all of us to come together, no pretensions and very little boundaries if not, hopefully non.
As one of the photographers, working through a lens, as in an alternative way to research, explore and perhaps understand what social cohesion actually is, I feel privileged that the context allowed us to do so. The large Nepali team 2019 facilitated this, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible and the Nepali project 2019 would be asleep by now. While in the contrast and against the odds, it is nothing but a living pulsation. Possible, permanent and itinerant connections.
Within the next weeks, ´Bound: Photography born in Nepal´ will see the light and once again, we would like to invite everyone. It is perhaps an excuse to get together, as it happened to be in Nepal, with the motive of a pilot project aiming to understand the relation between social cohesion and spaces. Thus today The Free City of Kalasatama gives us a not traditional space for the arts, but a wall that has never been used for exhibiting anything before. The current exhibition has been curated by María Paloma Velázquez.
Memorable times for a course that was never intended to be a student project but a real one. Waving from convergence and focusing in a very small area in rural Nepal, today I would say that the replicability or our project is wider than I expected. Jumping from what happens after -or before- natural disasters, lead me to think about disasters only, not natural in particular. For this, my most sincere gratefulness to everyone, every single individual who has participated in one way or another, so we all can today have the chance to share a word about what social cohesion means.
