Object in Focus- Project 1336 by Manish Lal Shrestha

Title: Project 1336

Medium: wool, thread, cotton

Size: 1336 meters

“Project 1336” is the community based art project. It is an art idea to work together with the diverse community of the Kathmandu city, especially women and the youths. The Valley is densely populated and people living here have high hopes and big dreams. And this project is the story of people living around the lanes in the Valley.

Life is never straight; it is like the lane of the Kathmandu Valley. I see women gathering in small courtyard knitting along with their neighbors interacting with joy about life and values. They knit with the stories, and knitting becomes the story of seconds. Knitting is like making things happen, intricate connection between threads and journey of life, which is yet full of struggle, hope and chaos like the lanes in the city.

Similarly, knitting wools embrace the feeling of warmth, inclusiveness, and also connects with personal nostalgia of motherhood blessings. Ongoing process of the installation itself is a work of art which interlink with doers and viewers as the part of community activity. The work is spontaneous, performative, interactive and playful like the city of Kathmandu Valley.

Art however should touch lives. It is to bring awareness on the native opportunities to labor class people who flee away to other nations in the hopes to have better future. Kathmandu is not a child friendly city, so to bring awareness; this lyrical vibrant line will bring some playfulness, hopes, and dreams to our future generation.

This project is again to connect Kathmandu city with sea level, an elevation height of 1336 meters.

Manish Lal Shrestha
Visual Artist

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