Nepali artists use visual elements to call for action against development-induced destruction

Kathmandu [Nepal], December 15 : Amit Machamasi, a photographer based in Nepal's Bhaktapur has documented landscapes over the years around his locality. Starting in 2022, Machamasi's exhibit "Not the Same Anymore" shows the destruction around the hills of Bhaktapur with rapid unplanned urbanisation.
One of the most iconic photos in the collection "Not the Same Anymore" is a landscape that captures brick clinks spewing out smoke further corroborating the environment being showcased in the multimedia exhibition "Who Does the River Belong to?"

"This ongoing exhibition (from December 13, 2024) reflects on the destruction that has come along with the development. The title of my exhibit is 'not the same anymore.' Here in my work I have tried to capture the place where I grew up is changing rapidly with trails of destruction dominating development," Machamasi told ANI as he stood in front of his iconic photo.
"This photo is from Bhaktapur, the area where I was born and reside. In my area for six-month people are busy cultivating crops and the remaining six months' brick clinks continues to work and this is the season when the brick factories would get into operation. It has continued since long even till now and I took this photo in 2022. It was the next morning after brief winter rainfall and every morning it is the regular pattern to be observed in this particular area of Bhaktapur. This shows the main contributing element for the air pollution and also I tend to raise the question, 'Where is my basic human right to breathe fresh and clean air?'" Amit questioned.

The multimedia exhibition showcases the work of nine Photo.Circle fellows who challenge the mainstream doctrine of progress. The stories showcased in this exhibition encourage viewers to reconsider the narrative of progress.
The organizers state that the aim of this exhibition is to question how we, as individuals, communities, and nations, have embraced the concept of development and how this singular focus has resulted in the exploitation of rivers, forests, and lands.

"We were really interested to be able to create resources for the community to be able to dig deeper into stories that challenge the mainstream narrative of development. There's so much funding that backs up strengthening narratives of development here. What does development actually mean for us, and who is it supposed to be for, and the exhibition attempts to ask some critical questions around this," NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, co-founder and director at Photo.Circle, the organizer of the event told ANI.
"The title of this exhibition is 'Who Does this River Belong to?' it is the idea of ownership, who owns our natural resources, the idea of the sovereignty of natural resources, the human as well as non-humans, the idea of autonomy and relating to these big questions that are very relevant in each of our lives. More and more we are facing an ecological crisis which we understand and call as climate change," he added.

The presented works came up after a nine-month fellowship programme, where each fellow was paired with a mentor. The exhibition which will run till December 22, 2024, showcasing the works of Aman Shahi, Deepa Shrestha, Kishor Maharjan, Sara Tunich Koinch, Priyanka Tulachan, Samagra Shah, Sundup Dorje Lama, Sanjay Adhikari, Shreena Nepal and Amit Machamasi.