Kathmandu Triennale is Nepal’s premier international platform for global contemporary art. Started as the Kathmandu International Art Festival (KIAF) in 2009, the festival aimed to foster dialogue between Nepali and international artists. In 2017, the festival rebranded as the Kathmandu Triennale with the ambition of placing Nepal on the global contemporary art map. Organized by Siddhartha Arts Foundation (SAF), Triennale aims to build a stronger network of local, regional, and international stakeholders, facilitating partnerships and collaborations that will uplift Nepali artists and create pathways for greater global recognition. Through exhibitions, symposia, and creative workshops, the Triennial offers a platform for dialogue and exchange that connects Nepali artists to international art communities, facilitating growth opportunities and fostering cross-cultural understanding.
For its fifth edition, SAF is partnering with Nepal Academy of Fine Arts to co-organize Kathmandu Triennale 2026 to promote Nepali arts and culture and to establish Nepal as an international hub for the arts. The Triennale is taking place from 11 February to 12 April, 2026.
The theme for KT2026 is Co-existence, under the artistic direction of Natalie King, an internationally acclaimed Australian curator and Enterprise Professor of
Visual Arts at the University of Melbourne. The modality of the Triennale in this year’s edition is also different from its previous iteration, where our Artistic Director will work alongside a group of Nepali and International co-curators to create a powerful and multicultural exhibition that resonates deeply with this edition’s central theme: Co-Existence.
KT2026 will also feature a Students Triennale where students from different arts schools of Nepal will have an exchange and engaging platform. There will also be various satellite events including residencies, symposiums, exhibitions and workshops throughout Nepal. At the same time, Educational Programs in Art Writing, Curatorial Practice, Art Management, Proposal and Grant Writing Capacity Building will also be taking place. Educational programs for School Children are also one of the priorities for the Triennale. Finally, there will be various collateral events and residency programs surrounding KT2026.
Welcome to the premier arts festival of Nepal.