The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka) is pleased to announce another series of free public programmes for ‘88 Acres: The Watapuluwa Housing Scheme by Minnette De Silva’. As the exhibition comes to a close on 7 July 2024, these events offer a last opportunity for visitors to engage deeply with the work and legacy of Sri Lanka’s pioneering woman architect, Minnette De Silva (1918–1998).
Highlighted events for June 2024 include an Exhibition Tour in Tamil on Saturday, 1 June from 11 am–12 pm, led by a Visitor Educator of the MMCA Sri Lanka. This Saturday there will also be a free workshop titled ‘Creating a Stamp of Minnette’ with Kiyawana Muddara from 3–5 pm, where Niroshana and Viranga Peiris of Kiyawana Muddara explore why there is no stamp commemorating Minnette De Silva. Participants will delve into the history of women on stamps and remember De Silva from stamps of her time. This workshop is open to all participants aged 18 and above.
On Saturday, 8 June there will be a free workshop titled ‘Be Your Own Architect’ with Yuxin Cong from 3–5 pm, brought back by popular demand. History educator Yuxin Cong will guide children aged 10–15 through the historical context and design process of the Watapuluwa Housing Scheme in Kandy (1958), encouraging them to develop their own architectural ideas inspired by De Silva’s user-friendly design principles.
A free Curator’s Tour with Thinal Sajeewa, Assistant Curator at the MMCA Sri Lanka will be held on Saturday, 8 June from 11 am–12 pm, whilst a free Artist Tour will take place on Saturday, 15 June from 3–5 pm. Here, contemporary artists Irushi Tennekoon, Sumedha Kelegama, and Sumudu Athukorala will lead a special tour of ‘88 Acres’, where you can also hear more about their specially commissioned film ‘is this an architectural documentary?’ (2023) which is currently on display in ‘88 Acres’.
You can also join free Exhibition Tours of ‘88 Acres’ every Sunday from the 2 to 30 June from 11 am–12 noon, led by knowledgeable Visitor Educators of the MMCA Sri Lanka. Drop by to gain deeper insights into De Silva’s groundbreaking architectural work through a Sinhala language Exhibition Tour held on Saturday, 29 June from 11 am–12 pm.
The MMCA Sri Lanka will also curate a free Gallery Talk titled ‘Contemporary Approaches to Community Housing’ with Prof. Nihal Perera, Emeritus Professor of Urban Development at the Ball State University, USA and architect Sumedha Kelegama on Friday, 28 June from 6–7 pm. Here they will discuss contemporary approaches to community housing in Sri Lanka, with a special focus on the Mahaweli Towns built as part of the Mahaweli Development Project in Sri Lanka.
Join the MMCA Sri Lanka for a month of free artistic and educational engagements as they celebrate the legacy of architect Minnette De Silva. All public programmes at the MMCA Sri Lanka are free, and prior registration on the Museum’s Eventbrite page is required. So come and soak up the art vibes! For more information and updates, please visit the MMCA Sri Lanka website at www.mmca-srilanka.org or follow them on Facebook (facebook.com/mmcasrilanka) and Instagram (instagram.com/mmcasrilanka).
