Colomboscope reaches out to wider audience

By Duvindi Illankoon

Colomboscope returns this month with a programme that will cater to even the fussiest aesthete. Streamlined into two overall segments, the programme will cut across a gamut of topics and mediums from visual media to literature and the performing arts.

The multidisciplinary festival was first introduced in March 2013 as ‘Identities’, a joint initiative by the British Council and Goethe Institut. Writers, artists and musicians from around the country and region showcased their work at the festival, with author Ashok Ferrey curating their work. The January 2014 edition, ‘Making History’, was held in line with the Colombo Art Biennale and was curated by Radhika Hettiarachchi.

This year, ‘Shadow Scenes’, the exhibition, will run from August 21 to 30 at the Rio Hotel in Slave Island. Rio’s colourful personality, coupled with its turbulent history adds to the sense of displacement that Shadow Scenes seeks to explore, says curator Menika van der Poorten. Menika, along with Natasha Ginwala, will curate 40+ local, regional and international artists presenting at the venue. Each artist has been allocated a room at the Rio for their work, which could be anything-from paintings, installation, sound and text-based works, photography, film and performance art.

The talks and literature programme-‘The City. Identity. Urbanity’- begins on August 21 with a preview in the way of an introductory reading. Over August 22 and 23 participants will be in moderated discussions varying from talks on urban development, the use of satire in writing and gender and sexuality among others. The programme also includes curated dinners and walks.

Colomboscope is organized by EUNIC Sri Lanka, representing Institut Francais, Goethe Institut and the British Council.