On 19th September 2025, the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA), in partnership with Royal Enfield and the Community Centre for Arts, Crafts and Culture, Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong, launched the first session of their THF Dialogues series, Beyond Display. The hybrid event, part of FICA’s fully funded Himalayan Fellowship programme, was hosted in Shillong to engage creative practitioners, scholars, and researchers across the Himalayan region. The programme was attended by students, faculty members, researchers, and art practitioners from the city.

The session opened with introductions by Careen Joplin Langstieh, artist and head of the Community Centre, followed by a presentation on the Fellowship by Dev Kakkar, Programmes & Administrative Coordinator, FICA.

The dialogue, moderated by Donskobar Junisha Khongwir (AAMA Collective; co-author of Stories from the Valley), featured Professor Arkotong Longkumer (University of Edinburgh, Naga anthropologist) and Bazik Thlana (visual artist, academic, and writer). Thlana presented works by senior Mizo artists such as Thlangrokuma and Lalbuta, highlighting the influence of Christianity and its symbolism in nature and thematic composition. Longkumer discussed the Naga repatriation project and the delegation’s visit to the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, stressing the need to interpret museum objects beyond surface meanings to uncover the intent behind their placement.

The programme was curated by Mary Therese Kurkalang, cultural curator and social researcher with three decades of experience in publishing, arts, culture, and peace and conflict dialogue. She has directed and curated major literature festivals across Northeast India and has been lead consultant for The Himalayan Fellowship since its inception in 2023.