The MMCA Sri Lanka Celebrates Art in September

‘Encounters’ is the second exhibition by the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka), which opened its doors to the public earlier this year at Crescat Boulevard, Colombo. The museum will host the following series of programmes during September to engage visitors at the museum. Rotation 2 of ‘Encounters’, which is currently on view revolves around three artworks which focus on how our relationship with the environment impacts us historically and psychologically. The display consists of a large-scale installation of paintings by Gamini Ratnavira (b. 1949), which were originally commissioned for the Habarana Lodge (Cinnamon Lodge Habarana) designed by architects Ismeth Raheem (b. 1941) and Pheroze Choksy (b. 1942). ‘Encounters’ Rotation 2 is on display until 13 November 2022.

A special behind-the-scenes exhibition tour by Jonathan Edward from the exhibition design team, Sandev Handy, Curator, and Ritchell Marcelline, Assistant Curator, will take place on 16 September Friday, from 6 pm to 7.30 pm. The participants will be encouraged to walk through the museum and learn more about the approaches adopted for exhibition design, construction, and conservation of the artwork on display. The exhibition and graphic design of ‘Encounters’ are by Studio M: Emile Molin with Jonathan Edward assisted by Ruth Perera and Keshini Wewegama.

Visitors can also join a Curator’s Tour of ‘Encounters’ with curator Sandev Handy on 18 September Sunday, from 11 am to 12 noon to listen to his insights into the artwork on display.

A Gallery Talk will be held on 23 September Friday, from 6 pm to 7.30 pm with artist Firi Rahman (b. 1990), who will speak to Curator Sandev Handy about his series ‘Enclosure’ (2020), the meaning of home, and the sense of safety as well as suffocation, the idea of the home gives rise to.

A Poetry Reading with Ramya Chamalie Jirasinghe, Shailendra Ahangama, and Yusuf Barrie will take place on 24 September Saturday, from 11 am to 12noon. Ramya, Shailendra, and Yusuf will read a selection of poems about nature in response to the artworks in Display 2 of ‘Encounters’ Rotation 2.

If you wish to participate in any of these events, visit MMCA Sri Lanka’s Facebook at www.facebook.com/mmcasrilanka, Instagram at www.instagram.com/mmcasrilanka, or their website at www.mmca-srilanka.org to register. The MMCA Sri Lanka is an education-led initiative that aims to establish a public museum dedicated to the display, research, collection, and conservation of modern and contemporary art for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public, schools, and tourists. Alongside its curated exhibitions and education programmes, the museum is the first publicly accessible trilingual venue of its kind in Sri Lanka. ‘Encounters’ Rotation 2 is on display until 13 November 2022, and the museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm at Crescat Boulevard, Colombo.