What happens when an artwork is made to change—and eventually disappear? This summer Nepalese artist Amrit Karki (amritkarki_) spent a month in Lamayuru, Ladakh, creating "Rising from the Soil, Soaring to the Sky" for the inaugural sā Ladakh Biennale (sabiennale). Made from local soil, sand, and pigments, the site-specific installation stretches across the flat roofs of two historic buildings beneath the 11th-century Lamayuru Monastery. Its colorful patterns recreate carpet designs woven across Himalayan cultures, while its colors draw inspiration from the changing landscape around Lamayuru. The work covers 1,008 square feet, an auspicious number in Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Exposed to the elements, the installation will continue to change over time through wind, sun, rain, and interaction with its surroundings. Karki connects the work’s gradual transformation to ideas of change and impermanence: “The work is, I hope, changing in each moment, slowly becoming a memory.” The Ru...