2019 Dec 25
Art has been a vital part of the human experience since the very beginning. It has been one of the most effective forms of communication that transcend time, language and culture.
Art has been one of the most dynamic expressions of culture and as a country that has gone through a lot over the past century (post colonisation and the civil war to name a few) there are a lot of stories to be told and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka is taking up the challenge to tell our story through art of the past century.
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka is a privately funded not-for-profit initiative focused on the education and display of art in Sri Lanka.
The first step in this project was initiated on the 13 th December 2019 in the form of an exhibition titled, “One Hundred Thousand Small Tales” which was curated by Sharmini Pereira. This exhibition which was previously shown at the internationally acclaimed Dhaka Art Summit in 2018.
Why a museum?
A museum is a house of learning and art can teach us many things. An art museum can reflect a country’s history, its people and the way they think in an impressively intimate way and this is why the Museum of Contemporary and Modern Art Sri Lanka is in the process of being formed.
“Sri Lanka’s rich historic culture underscores the way in which the island can lead the way in the region as a modern and contemporary museum destination”, stated museum Chairman Ajith Gunewardana and this showcases the potential a museum of this nature carries.
The museum focuses on creating dialogues and discussions via works of art by artists past and present from around Sri Lanka and the world through curated exhibitions, educational programs and much more.
What can we expect?
At present, the museum is showcasing “One Hundred Thousand Small Tales” which takes a look at the last century of Sri Lankan life through the creativity of 43 local artists. This exhibition will be up for three months following which the museum will focus on researching for their next exhibition.
During this time we have been promised a host of other educational programs.
Damn this is cool and I want to see it
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka is currently hosted on the 17th floor of Colombo Innovation Tower and is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
If you’re planning on making the trip make sure you have some time on your hands because this is an experience that you need to take time with and once you walk in through those doors you won’t feel time go by.
