Lady looking at the diorama inside a Cora De Lang painting

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The last day of the Colombo Art exhibition is today. It’s a new and interesting event whereby art is on display in the Park Street Warehouses as well as all around Colombo, Nugegoda, and Battaramulla. It’s pronounced BE-UH-NAL-EE I think, which is Italian for happening every two years. And being posh. My family all referenced it as a Vihara Maha Devi style art sale, and it’s not exactly that. It’s some thoughtful and interesting art, and a very cosmopolitan crowd.

I only went to the main event. There are some interesting pieces ranging from a golden egg on a platform to these heads surrounded by bullets to large canvas prints. They’re organized around the theme ‘imagining peace’, though none of it is overtly political. I guess the closest would be the depictions of the 9/11 bombings using padura buildings, or Saskia Fernando’s prints of ‘Peace’ and planes dropping butterflies.

Some of the other pieces are much more abstract. Druvinka has some stunning images of a multi-religious Last Supper, as well as rather aggressive Kali’s and quasi-crucified Ganesh’s. Her pieces have a lot of depth and push a lot of boundaries. Another scene, of course, is the crowd. It’s very cosmopolitan and I’d guess about half suddha. I didn’t know there were so many westerners left in Colombo. I suppose this has its own political connotations, but everyone can go out. At the main event at least it’s a very ‘international’ crowd though I suppose it’s different at the satellite events in galleries around town.

An interesting reflection/water installation by Anoma Wijewardene (I think)

That said, today is the last day and I recommend checking it out. Only happens once every two years, and it’s hopefully the start of more cultural events around town. The main event in on Park Street, near Hyde Park Corner. There’s more info on their site. I have a few more photoshere.

Posted on Monday, September 14th, 2009 in Art, Colombo.