KALA: Celebrating modern Lankan art
Lionel Wendt, 1932- 44, Adventures in Space. Courtesy Lionel Wendt Trust
KALA in association with the Lionel Wendt Art Centre, a platform for South Asian Art, opens on January 28 with its inaugural exhibition ‘Pivot Glide Echo’ and an ambitious series of programmes, including talks, workshops and tours.
Kala is the Sanskrit word meaning performing art or skilled craft. Chosen as a name to represent the evolving and encompassing practices of South Asia’s modern and contemporary artists, KALA is South Asia’s newest educational and artistic platform, inspired by the diverse culture and modern art history of Sri Lanka.
‘Pivot Glide Echo’ is the platform’s inaugural exhibition of artists spanning eight decades, curated by KALA’s Assistant Curator Mariyam Begum under the guidance of KALA’s Curatorial Advisor Sandhini Poddar, Adjunct Curator at Large of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. With celebrated Sri Lankan photographer Lionel Wendt serving as a catalyst, the exhibition delves into the relationship between the image-making process and technology. Artists featured in the exhibition include: Lionel Wendt, George Claessen, George Keyt, Ivan Pieries, L. T. P. Manjusri, H. A. Karunaratne, Kingsley Gunatillake, Raki Nikahetiya, Mahen Perera, Liz Fernando, Sebastian Posingis, Muhanned Cader, Saskia Pintelon, Rupaneethan Pakkiyarajah, Anoli Perera, Vasantha Yoganathan, Cassie Machado, Kavan Balasuriya and Muvindu Binoy.
The accompanying KALA programme is in three parts.
- KALA x ASAP: a collaboratively curated programme with Art South Asia Project (ASAP), a UK based arts education and development non-for-profit. featuring talks by some of the art world’s leading voices, including global art curators and heads of arts institutions, also established artists and art historians discussing the history, context, and excitement of today’s art scene in Sri Lanka and beyond.
- KALA | PIVOT GLIDE ECHO: A series of exhibition tours and walk-throughs with the curators of KALA’s inaugural exhibition titled PIVOT GLIDE ECHO, featuring modern and contemporary art from Sri Lanka over seven decades. These tours will be in – English, Tamil and Sinhala – and target youth, schools, universities. This programme also features screenings of Sri Lanka’s most notable films.
- KALA +: An essential element of the programme, KALA+ focuses on artist practitioners, with workshops led by experienced Sri Lankan artists particularly focused on children and young adults, building an art based knowledge and critical faculty in future generations.
KALA’s Founding Platinum Partners are Cinnamon Life, Paradise Road, CAL and Wijeya Newspapers. Founding Gold Partner is Chatham Luxury and Founding Silver Partners are Malca Amit and WineWorld. Other Industry, Hospitality and Media Partners include Art South Asia Project, Barefoot Gallery, Christie’s, The Sunday Times, Lankadeepa, Daily FT, Daily Mirror, Echelon, Extreme Web, Films & Stills, Food Prints by Kolu, Gini Outdoor Kitchen, GPR, Hi, Hi TV, Jhaveri Contemporary, Mullen Lowe Sri Lanka, Ocula, Paradise Road Tintagel, Sapumal Foundation, Saskia Fernando Gallery and Shrine Empire Gallery.
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