Mission Statement
At the Saraf Foundation, we create spaces and forums to inspire and shape the communities within our landscape through restoration, ecology, archival research, and contemporary art.
In light of our location in Kathmandu, Nepal – one of the fastest urbanizing areas of South Asia – we strive to build an environment for careful and collaborative thought in response to forces of modernization. For despite the speed of such development, our indigenous landscapes and cultures encounter erasures, and global reports on the precarity of ceaseless urbanization continue to accumulate.
In this spirit, the Saraf Foundation aims to preserve and reactivate the vibrant history of Kathmandu Valley since over a decade – beginning withdocumenting indigenous heritage, we subsequently build platforms to interpret and rethink the narratives of these archival sources in the present. Further to this goal, we have three ongoing projects:
Our Vision
Established by Namita and Arun Saraf, our foundation is grounded on a cohesive approach – anchored in the past, interrupting the present, and with conscious attention to the making of futures.
Each project is fueled through this collective vision and determined by our precise objectives:
- Preserving the cultural textures – tangible and intangible – of the Himalayan terrain with a specific focus on Nepal
- Empowering local communities through programs designed to facilitate collective modes of learning and discourse
- Creating spaces for critical reflection and pedagogical debate, which are further rendered accessible to the wider public
- Encouraging research projects that address architectural concerns, ecology, environmental studies, and material culture
- Collaborating with regional, national, and international organizations and individuals to strengthen our impact at the grassroot level
