SPACES_16Feb_016_A

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e v i e w LOOKING FORWARD Yantra 4.0 was different than its predeceasing edition for many reasons. Most of these undertakings were motivated by a wish to grow and to become more substantive. With the concluded Yantra 4.0, the platform has set a new direction for the future editions and for the union of art, technology and science. TEXT: Nischal Oli Photos: Suresh Lama Yonjan F irst, the disclaimer: As the curator and organizer of Yantra 4.0, I am simply recounting the take-away lessons from each aspect of this year’s efforts. My attempt to stay unbiased and objective should be taken as such. Readers should seek out individual perspectives from participating artists, engineers, partners, supporters and of course co-organizers for a more encompassing review of Yantra 4.0. Established in 2012, Yantra was created for young engineers to put knowledge into practice through hardware programming. For the first two years this became the primary focus of Yantra’s programming achieved through the annual event: the National Robotics Competition (NRC) and regional Mini Yantras. By the end of the second edition, co-organizer Karkhana and founders Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN)sought to incorporate an art component to the platform in the hopes of opening newer avenues of creative thinking. The Siddhartha Arts Foundation’s Education Initiative (SAFEI) was thus invited to join the organizing committee to realize this new vision. Yantra 3.0, a dedicated showcase of interactive art, helped create new linkages between the creative and scientific fields, it instigated a dialogue. While extending the definition of the arts and sciences to be more accommodating and accessible. In early 2015, the team of organizers began on the journey again. We versed our vision for 2015, put it into an application and applied for an external grant. The earthquakes happened in between, but some good news greeted us in August when we received funding from the Arts Collaboratory. Between August and December we built a team and organized several events under the banner of Yantra 4.0. 18 / SPACES FEBRUARY 2016
e v i e w The biggest change has been simple – from ‘exhibition’ to ‘annual showcase.’ This might not seem as major alteration, but the designation does have a lot to do with how we perceived our work as organizers. By orienting the culminating event as a showcase of efforts carried out year-around, Yantra was able to include more content without infringing on its theme. It could downscale the interactive art section towards more immersive content while still displaying a substantial exhibition. Yantra 4.0’s Annual Showcase included, besides interactive art, happenings from the National Robotics Competition, new curated sections and programming from each of the organizers. Basically, an amalgamation of efforts by individual organizers and the team as a whole. Essentially, branding the event as a Showcase, we were able to reiterate Yantra’s function as a platform. For future editions, this might mean different organizers, or like with the concluded edition it will definitely result in more programming produced in collaboration with ‘partners.’ The Yantra Research Grant was the next big thing. It was awarded to study ‘objects of significance’ that have had measurable influence on Nepali society. For us these objects: shoes, watches and umbrellas, were embodiments of the edition’s theme, intriguing and inspirational. [BATO KO SAATHI] Bato Ko Saathi by Sharmila Shrestha and Binita Buddhacharya brought together shoes from different people as a site-specific installation. The artist hope to present the shoes as a marker of their owners. Through the research we were able to share stories of a different Nepal; one where footsteps measure time and citizens are fined if they fail to turn dead cattle’s hide over to shoe producers (sarkis). We were also able to showcase three participatory art installations grounded in the use of the objects of enquiry. The research is still on-going and the team is looking forward to concluding the research as an academic paper. Yantra hopes that such studies can be undertaken with more frequency through its activities and existing research can be highlighted through similar multi-disciplinary collaborations. FEBRUARY 2016 SPACES / 19
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Page 15 and 16: e v i e w NEGOTIATING THE TIMELINE
Page 17: e v i e w A sampling of photograph
Page 21 and 22: e v i e w [HOMEWORK THE GAME] Visi
Page 23 and 24: e v i e w On 5th of November, 2015
Page 25 and 26: THE BEST INTERIOR PAINT NEPAL HAS E
Page 27 and 28: e v i e w THE VERDICT On 28thof Sh
Page 31 and 32: have the right qualifications and t
Page 33 and 34: More simplistically put, let’s re
Page 35 and 36: let’s build safe world Walking Th
Page 37 and 38: Paltan Ghar House of Warrior PALTAN
Page 39 and 40: Low height partitions host horizont
Page 41 and 42: The inner chowks are degraded with
Page 43 and 44: 1 Many houses in Gangabu bus park,
Page 45 and 46: 3 Do you think it is high time that
Page 47 and 48: 5 In your view what are the lessons
Page 49 and 50: C urrent archaeological investigati
Page 51 and 52: 1 2 1. Wall with in situ carved bri
Page 53 and 54: Multi-disciplinary archaeological i
Page 55 and 56: The archaeological component of the
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Page 59 and 60: Concept Board, an Induction Program
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