White Milk Paints the Blue Sky

Lkham Gallery is pleased to present White Milk Paints the Blue Sky from October 14–26, 2023 in Paris. The exhibition invites eight contemporary artists from or living in Mongolia to consider how they envision the future and their place within it. It marks the first time that a Mongolian gallery has staged an exhibition of contemporary art at this scale abroad. The title evokes an ancient Mongolian practice of tossing milk towards the sky as a form of blessing, whenever crossing into a foreign land or embarking on a new journey or life phase. 

Curated by Christianna Bonin, a specialist in modern and contemporary art and politics in Central Asia, the group show features works by Baatarzorig Batjargal, Bekhbaatar Enkhtur, Chayodu, Nomin Bold, Nomin Zezegmaa, Nyam-Ochir Oyunpurev, Odonchimeg Davaadorj, and Zula Tuvshinbat.

The artists offer new perspectives on art from a country that has thus far largely been known to the world through romanticized documentaries about nomadic life or the history of Chinggis Khan. Their works encompass painting, photography, beeswax and clay sculpture, textiles and multimedia installation. For them, the future stretches between activism and conformism, and between empathy and hate. It is built upon ancestral knowledge, thrives on the innate wisdom of nature, and may not be anthropocentric. Their practices represent a young generation of Mongolians intimately attuned to where they have been, where they are now, and where they are going. 

About Lkham Gallery
Based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Lkham Gallery promotes contemporary art and culture of the Mongolian-speaking world and the broader Central Asian region. Lkham represents both emerging and mid-career artists working in a wide range of media. As the first gallery of its kind in Mongolia, Lkham envisions itself as an open door. Through regular exhibitions, publications, and a dynamic public program, the gallery facilitates dialogue between local artists and the public, and aims to galvanize patronage of local artists throughout its community, the region, and beyond. Founded in 2022 by entrepreneur Natsagsuren Mangalam, the gallery bears the name of her grandmother and references an important Buddhist protector deity.  

White Milk Paints the Blue Sky is supported by the International Art Development Association, a Paris-based, non-for-profit and non-governmental organization, dedicated to promoting contemporary art from Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

RSVP to join us for the opening on October 14, 5–10pm. A conversation between curator Christianna Bonin, IADA co-founder Laurent Lehmann, and participating artist Nomin Zezegmaa will take place on October 15 at 3pm.