Land Art Exhibition in Ladakh Captivates with Location and Intent

An ambitious land art exhibition called sā Ladakh uses the majestic canvas of the Himalayan ranges as its backdrop with an aim to drive the message of climate change. It has completed two editions and has plans to grow and engage more vibrant artists and art enthusiasts, but cautiously, using land as a collaborator and nature as its title participant. By Sindhu Nair

In a gallery setting as wide and picturesque as the Himalayan mountain range, a land art exhibition makes its foray and captivates interest through its vision of keeping environment and landscape as its anchor. Sā translates as soil in Ladakhi language, and sā Ladakh, held 3600 meters high, is said to be South Asia’s highest ever contemporary land art group exhibition on the theme of mountains, environment, culture and community.

Austrian-Sri Lankan interdisciplinary artist Raki Nikahetiya, Co-Founder, reflects on the ideating process that gave way to this art exhibition in the most remarkable of locations.

“I grew up seeing colossal sculptures carved out of solid rock at historical sites such as, Polonnaruwa or Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka and how they stood for centuries, proclaiming their magnificence and the fascination of art continued growing up with documentaries about the mesmerising art of Andy Goldsworthy, the mysterious Nasza lines and the tragic history of the Moais on the Easter Islands,” says Raki.

When Sagardeep Singh, a spatial designer and artist, met Raki and realised their combined passion for the massive landscapes of Himalayas in Ladakh, the idea of collaboration and a concept for land art came into being.

“When our friends at the Diskovalley Bike Park – a mountain bike park in Leh offered to host a show at their 22-acre venue, something like the Yorkshire Sculpture Park inviting local, national, and international artists, came to our minds. That’s when our friend and a renowned Ladakhi climber and founder of the Suru Outdoor Fest, Tenzin Jamyang, came onto the scene,” recounts Raki.

It was Tenzin who linked the concept to climate, seeing the effects of climate change becoming more evident in high-altitude regions during his expeditions.

Thus, three friends from different walks of life, with the same vision and passion for land and its offering, came together to create sā Ladakh.

But this exhibition is not one that is centered on huge figures, of people and participants, but is secured to land and its sensitivity with collaborations that last and support the community of art and artist in a land that is harsh yet sensitive.

“All of our past experiences came together: land art linked to climate, culture and community,” says Raki, “It is about appreciating the bounties of nature but with due diligence.”

The trio behind sā Ladakhi, rock climbing pioneer Tenzin  Jamyang (Jammy), artist Raki, and designer Sagardeep – embody the event’s ethos of mindful art creation, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.

sā Ladakh has learnt from its past two editions in 2023 and 2024, and plans to operate as Biennale with the next exhibition to be held in the month of June in 2026.

Land Art that are Storytellers

While the intent behind sā Ladakh remains strong and steadfast, it is the art that was showcased at the two editions that brought attention to this land art exhibition.

Jungwa 5, an art form that delved into the intricate interplay between humanity and nature, explored the profound connection between flora, fauna, and the elements of nature. It is inspired by Tibetan philosophy. The artist Urgain Zawa, a sculptor from Igoo Village, in the Leh District of Ladakh, highlighted the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of balance, a conscious thought that most Ladakhi artist have incorporated in their works using materials like clay, rocks, husk and mud that are found around and disintegrate into nature without any residues left behind.

Another poignant work by local artist Stanzin Tsepel called Glacier’s Retreat uses scrap wood, used iron rods, white lime and organic blue colour to chart the path of two retreating glaciers’ – Parkachik Glacier and Drang Drung Glacier in his native place Rangdum, Kargil, Ladakh. As he journeys back to his village, he is struck by the awe-inspiring yet poignant sight of the glacier retreat. Each visit reveals subtle but unmistakable changes in the landscape, a testament to the profound impacts of climate change.

“The once majestic glaciers, guardians of the mountains, now recede at a pace that cannot be ignored,” says Tsepel as he imprints the path onto nature for a little longer, making the land art nostalgic in its powerful storytelling.

Doyel Joshi and Neil Ghose Balser, a Mumbai-based Indo-German artist couple of   howareyoufeeling.studio, created an immersive land art performance titled Into the Pinke with 50 students from Mahabodhi Residential School, Leh.

The community art initiative by Neil and Doyel explored the intrinsic interrelationship between land and ts inhabitants in the performative art that became more of an educative journey.

Another work called Generational Spores by Angelina Kumar from Netherlands is composed of approximately 400 mycelium circles in three sizes and local clay.

“Mycelium, a living organism dating back 715 to 810 million years, played a crucial role in breaking open rocks, and enabling life as we know it today. Each mycelium circle symbolises a spore planted into the soil, inviting contemplation on the legacy we are creating for future generations,” says the artist as she demonstrated the interconnectedness of life and our impact on the planet’s future.

A long-lasting legacy is Aditi Jain’s ‘Open Weave’ – a textile land artwork under The Himalayan Knot Program. The Himalayan Knot is an initiative by sā Ladakh in collaboration with Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO) and Royal Enfield where a climate-conscious artwork by a fibre-based artist was developed with local artisans from Lehvalle, Leh.

We talk to the creators behind this art initiative to understand the rare bond they have with the earth and the place they are in, Ladakh, that makes sure that the landscape is left intact with no external materials left behind as residue that will have a negative impact on the environment and art takes a regenerative mode, forcing the artists to relook at the mediums used.

SCALE: Was there a prevalent art community here already? How do you work to involve the local artists?

Raki Nikahetiya: Art has always been an integral part of the Ladakhi culture but the contemporary art scene is something which is evolving in Ladakh and is unique in a global context. At sā we are showing physical land art installations as well as audio and video installations to create immersive experiences, particularly focusing on emerging contemporary Ladakhi artists. Thanks to Ladakhi artist Jigmet Angmo we got in touch with Dr Monisha Ahmed, the founder of the Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO) and now a key partner of sā. Monisha had a leading role in setting up the contemporary arts in Ladakh and we were able to get the interest of the local artist community through her ongoing work and access with the Ladakhi art scene.

In contemporary arts there are many barriers and access is not easy if you are not part of a certain community, educational background or demography. With our approach to art, we want to connect young artists with established artists without the interference of glass ceilings. Through that we wish to not only bring artists together, but an internationally connected community from different backgrounds. We want to create a platform to exchange ideas, expertise and enable collaborations even after the Biennale ends.

SCALE: How has the exhibition grown since its first year?

Sagardeep Singh: Recently our partner the German Embassy to India confirmed the digital reach of 815 million for the exhibition, We are of course proud to have reached this, especially as it is organic. However, the visitor number at the exhibition in Leh was only 2000, which is similar to last year.  This number is perfect for us. We only want a certain number of visitors as it adds pressure to the local carrying capacity and the fragile ecosystem in Ladakh.

We want to grow slowly, learn from our successes and more so from our failures. The more we do, the more we gain knowledge but also more questions arise. How do we create with limited resources? How can we be more mindful about regenerative practices looking at the whole lifecycle of art? How do we communicate with the community, locally and digitally? How much do we want to grow and what is enough? How can we support the artists we already worked with and how do we get new talent? Whom do we want to engage with and why? We reflect with each decision we make and we keep learning. I think ultimately, we are not looking for perfection, but a model which can share best practices and a connection to land through art in times of change and uncertainty with a wider audience, particularly with the next generation, the future custodians of the land.

Over the past year, there has been a significant increase in the number of people involved in the exhibition, enhancing the overall experience. A major change was the strong collaboration between the artists and the community. When one artist finished their work, they would help others complete theirs. This year, we had more artists participating than before.

Additionally, there was a big change at the venue itself, which greatly improved the event. The team at Disko Valley provided excellent hospitality in a very organized way, ensuring all the basic amenities required for the artists and the team were available, even at 3600 metre. Learning from our previous mistakes, our management was more organized and efficient. Reducing the event duration from 23 days to 10 days also made the process simpler and more enjoyable for everyone involved.

SCALE: How do you curate the artists for the show, bringing in the right element of local and international to the mix?

Tenzin Jamyang: We have a detailed and extensive selection process with different interview rounds. After the open call, we do a pre-selection for interviews. Firstly, we look at the submission and approach but in the forthcoming rounds we try to understand more about the artist and if they will be able to create in the harsh conditions but also fit into the local community and selected artist group.

It is a lengthy process in a way, but we want to make sure that we get the right people, not only the best proposals. This year was wonderful, it felt like the artists turned from stranger to friends over a period of a few intense weeks. We felt that shared hardship creating art in such high altitude enabled deep bonds with artists stopping their own work to help others. That process is beautiful and something which we want to continue and widen a supportive art network in the years to come.

SCALE: When art or land exhibition leaves no residue behind, how will the story be taken forward for years to come?

Raki Nikahetiya: sā was founded with the passion and love for landscapes, environment and communities and with a focus on engaging people from all walks of life – particularly young adults and the next generation, the future custodians of the land. sā’s values have been centered on the principles of climate optimism: “Climate optimism isn’t about denying what we can see with our own eyes or ignoring our grief for what we’ve lost. It’s understanding that we know how to prevent things from getting worse and that we’re making progress.” As such we aim to inspire cross-cultural, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary dialogue and exchange, appreciation and care for the natural world through “Regenerative Art”.

We see Regenerative Art as art which is created out of recycled, renewable, biodegradable, reusable material that doesn’t leave a negative impact on the physical environment. Art that is regenerative and can be repurposed or re-utilised by the community members and is even better if sourced from local spaces. Artistic practices that can engage people and sensitise them to climatic solutions at local and global levels. Art that also obeys diversity and inclusion, welcoming people from diverse backgrounds, signifying a symbiotic relationship with lives and conveying a story.

Innovative documentation plays a crucial role as well in this. By capturing the creation and impact of regenerative art and circular processes through digital platforms, films, and publications, we create an archive that can be accessed, shared and revisited by people worldwide. This serves as a testament to our values and achievements, with the hope to inspire others to adopt similar approaches in their environmental and artistic endeavours.

In essence, by integrating these elements, the story of our land art exhibitions is not confined to the physical presence of the artworks. Instead, it is perpetuated through the lasting impacts on the environment, communities, and cultural consciousness, ensuring that the values of mindful, regenerative artmaking as a replicable model that continues to resonate and inspire long after the physical artworks have transformed or faded away.

SCALE: What are the challenges that the exhibition faces?

Smalika Jain (sā Media Manager): Creating a land art experience in the remote Himalayan desert at an elevation of 3600m comes with numerous challenges. Each step, every living being, and each obstacle leads to learning and realizations about being human in a vast, uncertain space. The internal team prepared in advance, weighing the pros and cons, but in a climate of erratic changes and personal challenges, we all did our best to navigate the journey.

We faced the task of making locals understand our art and its impact, seeking government permission to use space during India’s election period, adapting the artwork with artists on-site, and procuring materials that matched our innovative yet value-driven approach. Coordinating with the team and managing health concerns due to acclimatisation added to the complexity.

Despite language barriers, cultural differences, unpredictable weather, and the adventurous site, we collectively overcame these challenges. A primary lesson was that people shed their labels and titles, joining hands to create something meaningful together at an elevated mountainscape.

To our amazement, charity and government schools, along with local villages, actively participated. They welcomed us and collaborated as equal partners, trusting us to share their thrilling stories and voices with the world. Locals assisted with commuting, procuring local materials, and collecting discarded waste. Their support extended to obtaining formal permissions from police and administration departments for our activities.

In the end, this project demonstrated how unity and collaboration can overcome significant challenges, realizing a shared vision. By transcending labels and embracing a collective purpose, we created meaningful and impactful art, proving that diverse communities united by common values can achieve extraordinary outcomes.

All Images Courtesy sā Ladakh.