Whose Land is it Anyway? was a six week long workshop conducted in August and September, 2021. Facilitated by Ritu Rajbanshi and research fellow and artist Irina Giri, the workshop closely explored the existing and possible connections we could have with the city we live in. The workshop began with her wondrous curiosity of the seemingly abandoned lands spread around Kathmandu town. The participants read French philosopher Henri Lefebvre, went on walks, looked at their surroundings anew and sensed that these abandoned lands actually represented their disconnect with the city. Some counted the number of parks and “public” spaces available around their own areas while others looked at the politics behind malls and shopping complexes sprouting like mushrooms in damp dark alleys.
“I myself found a new lens to look at Kathmandu. The lack of public spaces and growing concrete structures meant little access to nature.” shared Ritu. “When Irina took us to her abandoned lands– they’ll always be Irina’s abandoned lands to me, we sat under a tree, shared a warm cup of tea and talked about books and pop culture. This was an act of rebellion, an act of claiming the space we thought we deserved. I think that was the first time I ever sat under a tree in Kathmandu. I wonder when will I or we, the residents of Kathmandu city, get to do it again.”
