Art Industry News: November 1, 2021

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The global art landscape is undergoing significant shifts, from the cultural erasure facing Afghan artists under Taliban rule to a surge in grassroots restitution efforts led by organizations like the Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign. Meanwhile, major institutional moves include the appointment of Julieta González as artistic director of Brazil’s Inhotim and the opening of the Nesr Art Foundation in Luanda, Angola, which aims to bolster the local contemporary art scene through residencies and private collection displays.

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The Museum of Modern Art in New York is launching its latest New Photography exhibition, “Lines of Belonging,” on September 14, marking the series’ 40th anniversary. The show features 13 international artists and collectives from four cities, including Sandra Blow, L. Kasimu Harris, and Prasiit Sthapit, who each reflect on their contributions. Blow captures Mexico City’s queer nightlife, Harris documents Black Masking Indian traditions in New Orleans, and Sthapit photographs the changing landscape of Susta, Nepal.

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Four pro-Tibetan groups in France have filed a legal complaint against Paris's Musée Guimet, accusing it of erasing Tibet's cultural identity by renaming its Nepal-Tibet gallery to "Himalayan world" and removing references to "Tibetan art." The groups argue the changes blur Tibet's distinct heritage and align with political pressures from Beijing. The museum denies external influence, stating the new name better reflects the region's cultural interconnections, citing similar usage by institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian.

In pictures: Art Basel's Unlimited section offers visions of utopia

Art Basel's Unlimited section, curated by Giovanni Carmine, features monumental works and performances with themes of utopia, community, and being in sync. Highlights include Oscar Murillo's participatory drawing installation, David Owens' film on Lonnie Holley, Alia Farid's tapestries on Middle Eastern-Cuban migration, Taloi Havini's shell money piece, Atelier Van Lieshout's 160-sculpture march to utopia, Andrea Büttner's shame punishment prints, and Mario Merz's inhabitable igloo.

Guy Ullens, collector and patron of Chinese contemporary art, has died, aged 90

Baron Guy Ullens de Schooten, the Belgian art collector and philanthropist who co-founded Beijing's Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in 2007 with his wife Myriam, died on 19 April at age 90. Ullens began collecting Chinese contemporary art in the 1980s and 1990s, amassing a renowned collection of around 1,500 works by artists including Huang Yong Ping, Qiu Zhijie, and Cao Fei. UCCA opened in Beijing's 798 art district with an exhibition on the 1985 New Wave movement, becoming one of China's earliest private institutions and a major force in defining the country's contemporary art scene. In 2017, the Ullenses transferred UCCA to a group of Chinese patrons, and it has since expanded to multiple locations.

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The Musée Guimet in Paris, a museum renowned for its Asian art collection, is facing a lawsuit from pro-Tibetan groups who accuse it of trying to “erase the existence of Tibet.” The suit centers on a gallery that was previously described as focusing on Nepal and Tibet but is now labeled as covering the “Himalayan world.” The groups argue this rephrasing creates confusion about Tibet’s cultural distinctiveness and aligns with Chinese political lobbying. The museum denies any intent to deny Tibetan identity, stating the term “Himalayan world” aims to highlight cultural interactions across the region. This follows an open letter last year signed by over 140 organizations criticizing the museum for allegedly endorsing China’s colonization of Tibet.

At Mcube, the movement and memory of jatras come alive

Pradip Kumar Bajracharya's solo exhibition 'Festive Spirit' at Gallery Mcube in Kathmandu marks his return to solo shows after over a decade. The exhibition captures the movement and memory of Nepal's jatras (festivals), focusing on the cultural celebrations of the Newa people. Bajracharya uses abstraction and fluid acrylic techniques to depict events like Bhaktapur's Sindure Jatra and Indra Jatra, often decentering faces to emphasize atmosphere and emotion. The works also reflect on the pandemic's halt of festivities, with paintings referencing locked chariots and temple guardians.

Comment | Climate change is forcing tough choices—how much heritage can we save before it is too late?

Climate change is accelerating the degradation of archaeological sites worldwide, forcing archaeologists to make urgent, difficult choices about what to save. From thawing permafrost in the Canadian Arctic threatening Inuit heritage to landslides endangering ancient Buddhist temples in Nepal, researchers are now deploying innovative technologies like ground-penetrating radar, 3D scanning, and even cosmic-ray muon detectors to digitally document and monitor at-risk sites before they are lost.

Colorado South Asian artist collective celebrates first anniversary in Evergreen

The Colorado South Asian Artists Group, founded by artist Bala Thiagarajan, is celebrating its first anniversary with its second exhibition, "Grounded," on view at the Center for the Arts Evergreen. The collective, which began with six members, has grown to nearly 50 artists of Indian, Pakistani, Nepali, and Indo-Caribbean descent, aiming to increase the visibility and community of South Asian artists in a region where they have felt excluded.

A Primer on Buddhist Monuments

The New York Times Art section published a primer on three architecturally significant Buddhist stupas (reliquary mounds) located in Nepal, Thailand, and Taiwan. The article highlights the distinct design and cultural importance of each monument, serving as an educational overview for readers interested in Buddhist architecture.

20 Years of Art Refuge 2006-2026

An exhibition titled '20 Years of Art Refuge 2006-2026' opens May 13th in London, celebrating two decades of the UK-registered charity Art Refuge. The show features photographs, maps, films, and objects documenting the charity's work with displaced people in Nepal, France, the UK, and elsewhere, including recent projects '24X24 DUNKERQUE' and 'MADE TOGETHER'. Visitors can also participate in pop-up versions of The Community Table, a creative psychosocial support initiative.

Nepali artist to exhibit ‘Chhyaki’ at Venice Biennale collateral exhibition

Nepali visual artist and photographer Jyoti Shrestha, 29, will exhibit her photography collection ‘Chhyake’ in the official collateral exhibition ‘Personal Structures’ at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. Organized by the European Cultural Centre (ECC), the exhibition runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026, and features 150 international artists. Shrestha’s work explores intergenerational shame, body politics, and identity, drawing on the Nepali word ‘Chhyake’—meaning scars from skin disease—to examine inherited perceptions of ugliness within her family.

‘Like a Rising River’ explores Nepali women through art

The art exhibition ‘Like a Rising River: Stories of Women and Change’ recently opened in Nepal, showcasing the results of a collaborative project between Srijanalaya, UN Women Nepal, and the Government of Finland. The initiative sent 15 Nepali artists to four provinces—Sudurpaschim, Bagmati, Sarlahi, and Madhesh—to document the lived experiences, social struggles, and resilience of local women through various artistic mediums, including textiles, mixed-media animation, and storytelling.

Mainstreaming abstract art

Twenty-six Nepali abstract artists are exhibiting together for the first time at Taragaon Next in Kathmandu in a group show titled 'Forms of Abstraction'. The exhibition, curated by Roshan Mishra, features works by artists including Kiran Manandhar, Sangee Shrestha, Sushma Rajbhandari, Bidhata KC, NB Gurung, Jeevan Rajopadhyay, Laya Mainali, and Nabendra Limbu, among others. Supported by the Saraf Foundation for Himalayan Traditions and Culture, the show explores themes of motion, emotion, nature, architecture, geometry, and culture, emphasizing how Nepali abstraction transforms rather than abandons tradition.

Challenging norms through Mithila art

An exhibition titled 'Hamro Sahas, Hamro Kala' (Our Courage, Our Art) is being held at Gallery 108 in Kathmandu, Nepal, from April 24 to April 30. Organized by Maiti Nepal in collaboration with Gallery 108, the show features 15 Mithila artworks that address dowry practices, child marriage, and gender inequality, while promoting women's empowerment and resilience. Each piece is accompanied by a written narrative to clarify its social message.