The Question of Form: Diwas Raja Kc Discusses Dalit: A Quest for Dignity

In 2016, Nepal Picture Library (NPL) curated the exhibition Dalit: A Quest for Dignity. Presented at the Patan Museum, it showcased over eighty photographs and records archiving the Dalit experience in Nepal. Subsequently, this was consolidated in the form of a photobook—with the same name—published in 2018 by photo.circle and Nepal Picture Library. As a project that adopts two distinct formats, Dalit: A Quest for Dignity opens up the possibilities of critical archive building and dissemination. It also allows for differing modes of engagement which can be engendered through the spatial and haptic qualities of viewing inherent in the exhibition and the photobook respectively.

In this second part, of a two-part conversation, Diwas Raja Kc discusses the varied treatments and limitations of the exhibitionary space and the publication format. He also takes us through the key approaches developed by NPL towards creating and presenting photo, documentary and material archives for various projects.

_{(Featured Image: Facsimile of Lending Letter. Ekal Silwal. Mahottari, 2016. Courtesy of Nepal Picture Library.)}

Interview with Arushi Vats, 24th Feb 2021.