The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka) recently hosted a private screening of the animated documentary ‘is this an architectural documentary?’ (2023), for the residents of the Watapuluwa Housing Scheme in Kandy. This artwork was specially commissioned by the MMCA Sri Lanka, and created by contemporary artists Irushi Tennekoon, Sumedha Kelegama, and Sumudu Athukorala. The screening which took place at the Lorna Wright Community Hall at Watapuluwa offered the residents an in-depth look at the uniqueness of their houses and community.
The animated documentary was commissioned for the MMCA Sri Lanka’s recently concluded exhibition ‘88 Acres: The Watapuluwa Housing Scheme by Minnette De Silva’. The exhibition delved into the pioneering work of Sri Lankan architect Minnette De Silva (1918–1998), focusing especially on her innovative design of the Watapuluwa Housing Scheme (1958). This scheme was ahead of its time in providing affordable accommodation for a diverse ethno-religious community of government public servants in Sri Lanka and was notably created with the participation of its users.
‘is this an architectural documentary?’ (2023) weaves together animation, archival photos, film recordings, and witness testimonies to examine the environmental, social, and political transformations that the Watapuluwa Housing Scheme has witnessed since the 1950s. This film is supported by the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund, which fosters UK and international cultural partnerships to develop innovative digital collaborations. Research and development support was provided by Forensic Architecture, UK.
Sharmini Pereira, Curator at the MMCA Sri Lanka said that, “The challenge with curating this exhibition was that there are no original drawings or models from De Silva’s architectural practice, The Studio of Modern Architecture. We had to therefore take a different approach which involved commissioning three artists to research the scheme which has subsequently been crafted into a film animation. Their research involved interviewing residents of the Scheme and archival research, which has now produced the most up to date archive about the Watapuluwa Housing Scheme which we hope others will build on.”
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. 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/.
