‘Pivot Glide Echo’; a display of South Asian ‘KALA’ at Lionel Wendt

Moderator Mala Yamey, KALA Founding Director Saskia Fernando, KALA Curator Mariyam Begum, Art South Asia Project Executive Director Nour Aslam, and KALA Curatorial Advisor Sandhini Poddar at the panel – Pix by Upul Abayasekara 

KALA Founding Director  Saskia Fernando

By Divya Thotawatte

‘KALA’, a platform to showcase the works of South Asian artists, opened on Sunday with an inaugural exhibition aimed at elevating the creative culture and collaborations within the region, named ‘Pivot Glide Echo’.

Curated by KALA Assistant Curator Mariyam Begum under the guidance of KALA Curatorial Advisor Sandhini Poddar, exhibition is open to the public at Lionel Wendt Art Centre in Colombo until 25 February.

With the work of Sri Lankan photographer, filmmaker and pianist Lionel Wendt at its fore, it provides a unique window into intergenerational dialogues between modern and contemporary artists from Sri Lanka and the diaspora. 

‘Pivot Glide Echo’ features works spanning eight decades including the works of artists: Kavan Balasuriya, Muvindu Benoy, Muhanned Cader, George Claessen, Liz Fernando, Kingsley Gunatillake, H.A. Karunaratne, George Keyt, Raki Nikahetiya, Cassie Machado, L.T.P. Manjusri, Rupaneethan Pakkiyarajah, Anoli Perera, Mahen Perera, Ivan Pieris, Saskia Pintelon, Sebastian Posingis, Lionel Wendt and Vasantha Yoganandan.

Speaking on the curatorial process of the exhibition, Begum explained, “Since we are working with the Lionel Wendt Art Centre and his work as the catalyst, we started with the archive of his work which was made accessible to us through the Wendt Trust. Going through it, we focused on whatever we identified as things we could engage with and thought about the artists who would respond and resonate with that work. It needed to be tight, with just enough said in the process.” 

The artworks featured in the exhibition are classified into three different clusters namely, ‘temporality’, ‘poems inspired by landscapes’, and ‘rhythm’. The works in the ‘temporality’ cluster explore moments and memories that are translated into images. ‘Poems inspired by landscapes’ cluster includes interpretations and capturing of landscapes in different forms, including the body as a landscape for the poetic expression of love, longing and desire. The works in ‘rhythm’, as seen in most of Wendt’s work, also highlight a commitment towards aesthetic explorations that evoke fluidity and harmony. 

Exhibition tours will be held in English, Sinhala and Tamil languages while the ‘Pivot Glide Echo’ program is to also include screenings of Sri Lanka’s most notable films, including those by Lionel Wendt. 

KALA Founder Saskia Fernando said that KALA, as a platform for South Asian art, will strengthen the creative collaborations and partnerships within the region. Such collaborations would have a profound impact on the regional art culture and the global art scene as well, which was one of the main objectives of the platform. 

She added, “Our intention with this program is also to provide a space where people can come to learn about modern and contemporary Sri Lankan art, but alongside the exhibition, there’s a lot of programing taking place within the centre. This programing is where we feel that there are opportunities for the public to engage and learn. KALA will contribute to the current creative and art landscape within the region via the conversations that we will be having in our programing, we will also be focusing a lot on art programing for youth, children, enthusiasts, collectors, institutions, etc.”

The program KALA x ASAP, a collaboration between Art South Asia Project (ASAP) will feature talks by speakers like Diana Campbell of the Dhaka Art Summit and Rumana Naqvi from Whitechapel Gallery. Speakers featured will include leading international artists, global art curators, heads of arts institutions, established artists, and art historians. KALA+, another program by KALA, will host workshops for children and young adults. These workshops will be led by experienced Sri Lankan artists who will guide the youth to develop their skills and critical understanding of art.

Pix by Upul Abayasekara