The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art has announced a new five-year partnership with sā Ladakh Biennale, beginning with the commissioning of a work by Nepalese artist Amrit Karki for the biennale’s 2026 edition. Running from 1–10 August across Ladakh’s Leh-Kargil corridor, the biennale takes place at an altitude above 3,000 metres, earning the title of the world’s highest regenerative art biennale. The event will be bringing together contemporary art practices interested in ecological and cultural landscapes.
Karki, who is currently based in Pokhara, Nepal, is one of 24 artists participating in this year’s edition, and the first artist from Nepal to take part in the biennale. Recognised for his durational and performance-based works exploring spirituality and the unique relationship between the visible and invisible , the artist will develop a new commission following a month-long residency in Ladakh. His previous collaboration with the Rubin included the five-day performance What You Have Given Me, I Set Free Forever at the Nepal Art Council in 2024.
Curated by Vishal K Dar with Tsering Motup under the theme Signals from Another Star, the 2026 edition of sā Ladakh Biennale brings together artists from Ladakh and the wider world to investigate questions of land, memory, climate and lived experience. Following a rather unconventional exhibition format, the biennale extends across villages, learning spaces and open landscapes, spotlighting low-impact artistic production and long-term engagement with the region.
The Rubin’s collaboration with the biennale signals the museum’s broader move toward a decentralised global model centred on partnerships and cultural exchange across the Himalayan region. Future collaborations between the Rubin and sā Ladakh Biennale are also planned for 2028 and 2030.
