The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka) recently welcomed civil service members, non-governmental officials, and policymakers to a special tour of Total Landscaping, its current exhibition that reimagines land, conflict, and community.
Representatives from the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the British High Commission, the United Nations, UNICEF, The Asia Foundation, the National Peace Council and others joined the event, which focused on three specially commissioned works from the Uva, Northern, and Eastern provinces in Sri Lanka. These works address the root causes of local conflicts, particularly related to land and gender inequality, and showcase the potential of art as a catalyst for alternative dispute resolution.
This event was an opportunity for the participants to engage with the intersections of art, land, and policy and to explore innovative approaches to conflict resolution through the lens of artistic practice.
‘Total Landscaping’ by the MMCA Sri Lanka 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.
During the visit, representatives from a diverse range of local and international institutions were informed about the role art plays in making critical conversations about sustainable development, peacebuilding, and social equity relevant.
This event was held as part of the Arts4ADR initiative hosted by the MMCA Sri Lanka in partnership with the Supporting Effective Dispute Resolution (SEDR) project, seeking to strengthen the effectiveness and availability of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms in Sri Lanka for communities in Uva, Northern, and Eastern Provinces.
The SEDR project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the British Council.
For more information about MMCA Sri Lanka, visit www.mmca-srilanka.org or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/mmcasrilanka and Instagram at instagram.com/mmcasrilanka.
