The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka) opened Rotation 1 of their new exhibition ‘Total Landscaping’ on 12 September. Curated by Sandev Handy and Thinal Sajeewa, ‘Rotation 1 of ‘Total Landscaping’ is open to the public until 1 December 2024. Entry to the exhibition is free and the museum is located on the ground floor of Crescat Boulevard, Colombo 03.
‘Total Landscaping’ explores the broad, dramatic, and stirring ways in which land has been transformed in Sri Lanka. The exhibition brings together 29 contemporary artists whose works go beyond traditional illustrations of landscapes. Instead, their works register the different ways in which perceptions of land have been constructed and contested. ‘Total Landscaping’ unfolds as a sequence of changing displays that elicit an all-out renegotiation of our relationships to land.
“This exhibition comes at a crucial time when concerns about land occupation, what land belongs to us, and how we belong to these lands have animated conversations both locally and globally,” said Handy, Senior Curator at the MMCA Sri Lanka. He added, “This is not a new conversation by any means; rather, this exhibition identifies what has long been an underlying preoccupation for contemporary artists over the past few decades. How might we understand the ways in which land has always coded the story of this nation, and conversely, how political, social, and cultural relationships have coded the land?”
Rotation 1 of ‘Total Landscaping’ features artists Anomaa Rajakaruna (b.1965), Arulraj Ulaganathan (b.1992), Barbara Sansoni (1928–2022), Chandraguptha Thenuwara (b.1960), Danushka Marasinghe (b.1985), Dominic Sansoni (b.1956), Hanusha Somasundaram (b.1988), Jagath Weerasinghe (b.1954), Jasmine Nilani Joseph (b.1990), Jesper Nordahl (b.1969), Pradeep Thalawatta (b.1979), Sebastian Posingis (b.1975), Stephen Champion (b.1959), Suntharam Anojan (b.1991), Thavarasa Thajendran (b.1987), and Thisath Thoradeniya (b.1975).
Sajeewa, Assistant Curator at the MMCA Sri Lanka said that,“The works in ‘Total Landscaping’ collectively explore the critical issues regarding land and how these in turn have shaped these landscapes.” He added, “The visual identity designed by Nia Thandapani, and the exhibition design led by Jonathan Edwards and Raeesah Samsudeen, were conceived in relation to the curatorial narrative of the show. Their designs function alongside the curatorial narratives of the exhibition and how audiences will experience ‘Total Landscaping’ across each Rotation.”
He further noted that “The artwork production was taken on by Nishantha Hettiarachchi and Rajendran Soniya, which includes the creation of Danushka Marasinghe’s living paddy field installation titled ‘Walk(er)’ (2016). We are excited for our visitors to see a work that challenges perceptions of contemporary art as well as the idea of landscape.”
The works on display in ‘Total Landscaping’ Rotation 1 include paintings, installations, film, drawings, photography, and published material. Of these, the works by Joseph, Rajakaruna, and Somasundaram are commissioned by the MMCA Sri Lanka as part of ‘Arts 4 ADR’, which is a collaborative project in partnership with Supporting Effective Dispute Resolution (SEDR). A key aspect of ‘Arts 4 ADR’ involved understanding and increasing awareness of community-based Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. Through three new artists’ commissions, the project aims to facilitate dialogue about the root causes of community-based conflict, disputes, and grievances.
‘Total Landscaping’ is generously supported by SEDR Project and Advent Project Pvt Ltd, who are the Major Exhibition sponsors. Additional support is provided by Foto Design and Lego International, with radio partner Yes FM. The Museum gratefully recognises the immense support of its Major Benefactors John Keells Foundation and Fairfirst Insurance, and the Founding Patrons 2024 who support the museum in delivering all its activities including exhibitions.
Information about the museum and its exhibitions and public programmes can be found via its website www.mmca-srilanka.org, or on Facebook at facebook.com/mmcasrilanka and Instagram at instagram.com/mmcasrilanka/.
