Colombo will host its first Art Biennale to take place September 10th-14th 2009
Joining Dubai, Bangladesh, Singapore, New York, Sydney and Venice, Colombo’s Biennale aims to encourage and show contemporary art from Sri Lanka. International artists have shown interest and, plans are underway to accommodate artists from the region and the EEC.
The Biennale will be held at Park Street Mews. Five large warehouses will be converted into distinctive pavilions each managed by a curator showcasing a different artist collective. The team of curators includes highly regarded art experts such as Jagath Weeresinghe and Chandragupta Thenuwara, along with Nazreen Sansoni and Saskia Fernando. Substantial interest has been generated and the art community in Sri Lanka is bracing for a four-day event, which is expected to bring in visitors from abroad.
The theme: ‘Imagining Peace’ for this year’s Biennale is a suitable message for the Biennale especially now that the conflict is over. Artists will show their work by creating contemporary installation pieces, paintings and sculpture; depicting their personal interpretations of “Imagining Peace” that promises to be thought provoking and interactive.
Colombo Art Biennale gives a great opportunity for art lovers all over the world to flock to the capital of the island. Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism & Promotions Bureau, Mr. Bernard Goonetilleke, said that this was a positive move forward for the art culture in the country. He added “The event has come at an ideal time and will ensure that Colombo is firmly placed on the international art map.”
Colombo Art Biennale is a project with a vision. The intention is to bring artists together to work in pursuit of harmony, a sign of peace in itself. Artists in Sri Lanka have something to share–an expression of the challenges of their daily lives– deepened by the rich, mystical history of the country. Until now, they have not been given the opportunity to be fully seen to their optimum, and they have so much to contribute.
‘CAB Around Town’: there will be a map route of several other Art Biennale destinations to visit around the city that include galleries, museums, cultural centers, street art and studios. For five days the whole of Colombo will be buzzing with contemporary art.
