‘Conceiving Space’, Colombo Art Biennale 2016: A celebration of Sri Lanka and South Asia’s most innovative emerging and established artistic talent 2nd – 20th December 2016
The 4th edition of the Colombo Art Biennale (CAB) 2016, themed ‘Conceiving Space’, will be held from the 2nd– 20th December 2016. Established in 2009, CAB is the largest and most significant contemporary art festival in Sri Lanka, and has also become an art focal point at the international level. This year the Biennale will showcase 73 local and international artists – including 45 local artists, architects and performers, alongside international artists, architects, university student groups and performance artists. This year we will also see unique collaborative community engagement projects produced by established artists and architects and community members residing in Slave Island, Colombo.
The events of CAB 2016, curated by the Founder of the Asia Triennial, AlnoorMitha, takes root from the theme ‘Conceiving Space’ – which seeks to open up a paradigm of seeing, providing possibilities for creative production that engage diverse senses of space. The Biennale will bring together artists including: PriyanthaUdagedara (Sri Lanka), S. P. Pushpakanthan (Sri Lanka), MithuSen (India), Pushpamala N. (India), ReenaKallat (India), Faiza Butt (UK/Pakistan), Naiza Khan (UK/Pakistan), GhadaKhunji (Bahrain), Cristina Rodrigues (Portugal), RajniPerera (Sri Lanka/Canada), SaskiaPintelon (Sri Lanka/Belgium), VenuriPerera (Sri Lanka), Asvajit Boyle (Sri Lanka), and FiriRahman (Sri Lanka).
Integral to CAB’s vision for 2016 is the establishment of dialogue between local and international artists, curator Mitha explains:
“We are increasingly living in a time that is dominated by political events that are transforming our globe, making it unsafe, questioning our humanity through conflict. However, artists bring a new light, a new wisdom that generates a genuine engagement.
My ultimate vision is to create a South Asian Artistic Hub in Colombo that is inspirational – an artistic journey that captivates the imagination whilst exploring new ideas with young people, and with the local communities who live in Sri Lanka whilst welcoming international delegates..”
CAB 2016’s numerous community engagement and education outreach programmes conducted prior, throughout, and beyond the festival include projects by Mullegema Art Centre, Jayne Dyer in collaboration with Unity Mission Trust, Theertha Performance Platform and the Collective of Contemporary Artists (CoCA) Sri Lanka. The Architect’s programme featuring award-winning collective Studio Assemble and OBE Sir Prof. Will Alsop along with HiranteWelandawe,will also be an integral component of CAB’s community engagement and educational outreach.
CAB 2016 will be held at over 10 different sites around Colombo including, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, The Old Town Hall in Pettah, JDA Perera University Gallery, Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour, Slave Island Community, Theertha Red Dot Gallery, Prana Lounge, ZMAX Fairway, TajSamudra&CoCA Residency.
