The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka) opened Rotation 2 of their exhibition ‘Total Landscaping’ on 15 December. Curated by Sandev Handy and Thinal Sajeewa, the exhibition explores the broad, dramatic, and stirring ways in which landscapes have transformed in Sri Lanka.

Rotation 2 of ‘Total Landscaping’ features nine contemporary artists from Sri Lanka. They include Abdul Halik Azeez (b.1985), Chandraguptha Thenuwara (b.1960), Danushka Marasinghe (b.1985), Dominic Sansoni (b.1956), Jasmine Nilani Joseph (b.1990), Koralegedara Pushpakumara (b.1968), Pala Pothupitiya (b.1972), Pradeep Thalawatta (b.1979), and T. Shanaathanan (b.1969).

Handy, Senior Curator at the MMCA Sri Lanka noted that, “Artists have long examined power — how it operates and the tools used to enforce it. Contemporary artists are no different,” adding that, “At a time when questions of borders, access, and authority over land are being reckoned with in urgent ways, Rotation 2 of ‘Total Landscaping’ hones in on how our relationship to land is regulated.” He also said that, “The artworks in this rotation highlight the role of everyday images, maps, documents, and barricades in dictating how land is claimed, coded, and contested, determining who has access, who is excluded, and whose histories are made visible.”

Opening in three rotations over eight months, ‘Total Landscaping’ 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. ‘Total Landscaping’ unfolds as a sequence of changing displays that elicit an all-out renegotiation of our relationships to land. Rotation 2 of ‘Total Landscaping’ is open to the public until 2 March 2025. Entry to the exhibition is free and the museum is located on the ground floor of Crescat Boulevard, Colombo 3.

“Rotation 02 of ‘Total Landscaping’ will introduce a new selection of works spanning from photographs and paintings to sculptures and installations. “A paddy wild installation titled ‘Walk(er)’ by Danushka Marasinghe will remain in place from Rotation 1, continuing to introduce the exhibition,” said Sajeewa. He further noted that “This rotation also features three interactive artworks that promise to offer an engaging experience for visitors.” These interactive works include Pradeep Thalawatta’s ‘You came to see me, and now I'm here’ (2023) and T. Shanaathanan’s ‘Drawers of War Transactions’ (2019), which are both being exhibited for the first time in Sri Lanka.”

‘Total Landscaping’ is generously supported by the Supporting Effective Dispute Resolution (SEDR) project and Advent Project Pvt Ltd, who are the Major Exhibition Sponsors. Additional support is provided by Foto Design and Lego International, with radio partner Yes FM. The Museum gratefully recognises the immense support of its Major Benefactor John Keells Foundation, and the Founding Patrons 2024 who support the museum in delivering all its activities including exhibitions.

The MMCA Sri Lanka is an education-led initiative that aims to establish a public museum dedicated to the display, research, collection, and conservation of modern and contemporary art for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public, schools, and tourists. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm (except on Poya days and public holidays) at the ground floor of Crescat Boulevard, Colombo 3, and entrance to the museum and all its public programmes is free. Information about the museum, and its exhibitions and public programmes can be found via their website www.mmca-srilanka.org, or on Facebook at facebook.com/mmcasrilanka and Instagram at instagram.com/mmcasrilanka/.