The shape of the wind is a tree
Presenting projects and processes from The Himalayan Fellowship for Creative Practitioners 2023

FICA is thrilled to announce our upcoming exhibition, presenting projects and processes from The Himalayan Fellowship for Creative Practitioners 2023! 

The shape of the wind is a tree gathers ideations and explorations supported by the inaugural edition of THF, reflecting on elemental connections, sites of remembering, and paths of return. Taking from American poet and environmentalist Wendell Berry’s ecopoetic oeuvre—and most specifically, his poem ‘Elegy’, the exhibition embodies and represents relationships between inner and outer worlds where “the shape of the wind” is held and remembered by the form of a tree, a symbol of rootedness intertwined with movement.

Each creative intervention in the space represents an enduring connection to site and embedded histories, reflecting many-layered practices of reciprocity: quiet acts of regeneration, places of rest and play, and alternate cartographies that trace where songs and stories flow. 

We are delighted to showcase works by our 10 THF Fellows: BERE Collective, Ishan Chrungoo, Joshua Sailo, Kunga Tashi Lepcha, Millo Ankha, Mo Naga, Shikargah Collective, Soujanyaa Boruah & Shyam Lal, Tsering Motup Siddho, and Aarti Bisht, Aastha Chauhan, Rajendra Singh Negi & Ravindra Singh Gusain. Emerging from a profound sense of symbiosis with land and memory, root and resilience, ideas of self, and sensory ecologies across varied landscapes, each project offers decentered worldviews, revealing the regenerative possibilities of collaboration, and subtle reimaginings of temporal and relational boundaries.

'Journeying through the Himalayas' is a first-of-its-kind festival format showcase by Royal Enfield Social Mission, celebrating the timeless legacy of the Himalayan landscape, people, craft and culture.

As part of the larger festival, here’s our exciting list of upcoming programmes:

6th December | 4:30 pm
Voice of the River Henval | Book Launch by Radio Henvalani
Followed by a traditional Garhwali song performance, Pawada

7th December | 10:30 am
From the cloud to the stone | In conversation with THF Fellows
Tsering Motup Siddho, Soujanyaa Boruah, Mo Naga and Millo Ankha

7th December | 3 pm
Exhibition Walkthrough with THF Fellows

8th December | 6 pm
Zawn Lai | A two part durational and site-specific contemporary dance performance by THF Fellow Joshua Sailo and his team.

We look forward to welcoming you all to Travancore House shortly!

Poster design: Sukanya Baskar

Applications for the second edition of the Himalayan Fellowship for Creative Practitioners are currently open. Click here to know more and apply.