The first edition of Sa Ladakh—‘the highest festival of land art in Asia’–put the spotlight on climate change and art praxis in a fragile setting
An untitled artwork made from old notebooks, cardboard and clay by Skarma Sonam Tashi
ISSUE DATE: Sep 18, 2023 | UPDATED: Sep 7, 2023 18:47 IST
Leh’s Disko Valley Bike Park, whose dirt tracks are popular with mountain bikers, was the unlikely address for the first edition of Sa Ladakh, a land art festival where artists worked with recycled and renewable materials to create art focused on “the intersection of climate, culture and community in high-altitude environments”. The festival ran through August, concluding with a rousing closing ceremony on August 23 that had the audience tapping to, you guessed it, disco beats. The festival, which had about 10 major installations, was curated by Dr Monisha Ahmed, co-founder of Ladakh Media and Arts Organisation (LAMO) and Sri Lankan artist Raki Nikahetiya, who also exhibited at the festival.