Press Release | KALĀ in association with the Lionel Wendt Art Centre, a platform for South Asian Art, opens 28 January 2024 with its inaugural exhibition ‘Pivot Glide Echo’
November 23, 2023
Kalā 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 esteemed modern and contemporary artists, KALĀ is South Asia’s newest educational and artistic platform, inspired by the diverse culture and modern art history of Sri Lanka.
KALĀ in association with the Lionel Wendt Art Centre aims to develop a global platform inviting artists and art practitioners from across South Asia and the diaspora to build a collaborative force based on partnerships. KALĀ will evolve to meet the needs of artists and their supporting institutional partners, as well as the diverse audience who engage with them.
‘Pivot. Glide. Echo.’ is the platform’s inaugural exhibition of artists spanning eight decades, curated by KALĀ Assistant Curator Mariyam Begum under the guidance of KALĀ 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, initiating a conversation on the limitations and possibilities across generations of artistic practice.
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 Yogananthan, Cassie Machado, Kavan Balasuriya, and Muvindu Binoy.
The Lionel Wendt Art Centre, a central cultural fixture in the city of Colombo, will serve as the venue for the exhibition, that will feature many of the most celebrated modern and contemporary artists of Sri Lanka alongside a curated program of talks, workshops and events at the centre, across leading institutions, establishments, online and selected hospitality partners from 29 January to 25 February, 2023.
For inquiries, please contact
Nathalie Johnston
[email protected]
