Kathmandu, Nepal — November 2025
PhotoKTM6: International Photography Festival has officially opened at the Nepal Art Council in Babarmahal, running from November 14 to December 14, 2025. Celebrating ten years of visual storytelling, this sixth edition brings together photographers and artists from around the world for a month of exhibitions, talks, workshops, and community events. Curated and organized by photo circle, PhotoKTM6 is more than an exhibition; it is a month-long space for critical reflection, shared learning, and collective memory. The festival remains free and open to the public, welcoming visitors daily from 10 AM to 6 PM at the Nepal Art Council, while additional exhibitions travel across the wider Kathmandu Valley.
Beyond the exhibitions, PhotoKTM6 hosts an exciting lineup of talks, artist walkthroughs, film screenings, and educational workshops led by both international and Nepali practitioners. These events are designed to foster collaboration, support emerging creative, and deepen the understanding of photography’s role in society. Students, researchers, visual storytellers, and the general public are encouraged to participate and contribute to this dynamic creative atmosphere.
Over the past ten years, PhotoKTM has grown into one of South Asia’s most respected photography festivals, known for its thoughtful curation and commitment to community-centered art-making. This year’s edition continues that tradition with bold ideas, global voices, and deeply local roots. Whether you are an artist, a student, a photographer, or simply a curious visitor, PhotoKTM6 promises encounters that stay with you long after you leave the gallery.
Featured Exhibitions
- Life and Struggle of Garment Workers — Taslima Akhter
- Between Us, a Thread — Ahmed Alaqra
- Humo, Semilla, Raíz — Isadora Romero
- Tailoring Freedom — Sasha Huber & Petri Saarikko
- Possible and Imaginary Lives — yasmine eid-sabbagh & rozenn quéré
- Aequare. The Future that Never Was — Sammy Baloji
- The King Didn’t Like the Song — Manoj Bohara
- Fragmented Land and Me — Sujata Khadka
- Tender — Sushila Bishwakarma
- Panchardobato — Enuma Rai
- Why Doesn’t Home Feel Like Home? — Karma Tshering Gurung
- Ji ta Newa Bhyaa Mawa — Jyoti Shrestha
- Permanent and Passing — Manjit Lama
- The Land Remembers Our Name — Rejin Purja
Manoj Bohora
Manoj Bohara is a storyteller from Piskar, Sindhupalchok, whose work is rooted in the historical, political, and social realities that shape people and places. His early experience traveling across Nepal with the radio program Saathi Sanga Manka Kura sparked his curiosity about the country’s diverse stories and inspired him to pursue photography as a medium of expression. Manoj’s practice has gained recognition both nationally and internationally. He was a finalist at the Kasara Resort Photography Contest (2017), placed in the top four at the Rest of World Photography Contest (2023), and participated in the 2024 International Storytelling Workshop organized by OsloMet Metropolitan University, Pathshala Institute, and photo.circle. His photo story “Muma” has been published in the photobook It’s in Our Nature and featured in Suboart Magazine. With an academic background in Sociology and English Literature, Manoj brings a thoughtful, research-driven approach to visual storytelling.
About Manoj Bohara and His Work at PhotoKTM6
At the sixth edition of PhotoKTM, Manoj Bohara presents a thoughtful and evocative photographic series titled The King Didn’t Like the Song. Manoj is presenting a series that explores the tension between expression and authority. Through his photographs, he reflects on how stories, voices, or creative expressions can be discouraged, controlled, or reshaped by systems of power. By focusing on a theme that sits at the intersection of art, voice, and authority, he invites viewers to think about whose stories are allowed to flourish—and whose are silenced.
Main Venue: Nepal Art Council, Babarmahal
Open daily from 10 AM – 6 PM, the Art Council hosts the core exhibitions of PhotoKTM6, featuring powerful stories on identity, labor struggles, land, memory, migration, and belonging. PhotoKTM6 also brings photography into public spaces across the Kathmandu Valley:
- Mangahiti & Chyasal, Patan — Nov 14–22
- Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur — Nov 25–29
- Nandi Keshar Bagaincha, Naxal — Dec 2–7
- Nigu Pukhu, Madhyapur Thimi — Dec 10–14
Festival Information
Dates: November 14 – December 14, 2025
Location: Nepal Art Council, Babarmahal, Kathmandu
Time: 10 AM – 6 PM
Organizer: photo.circle, Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur
Contact: +977 1 5443501 | [email protected]
Photo Features:
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