The ninth edition of Colomboscope finds kinship in rhythm

In the past week, exhibitions and performances have unfurled across five venues in Colombo, Sri Lanka— whether it is the listening space at Soul Studio, a cinema programme at Liberty by Scope Cinemas or works of kinship displayed at Colpetty Town House. All these cultural activations are part of the ninth edition of Colomboscope, a contemporary arts festival and creative platform for interdisciplinary dialogue held in Sri Lanka since 2013. Titled Rhythm Alliances, this year’s programme seeks to “deepen its role as a cultural bridge across Sri Lanka and the wider Indian Ocean region”. It brings together more than 100 artists, musicians and filmmakers to explore sound, movement and collective memory against the backdrop of geopolitical tension. This edition also includes 35 newly-commissioned projects.

The idea is to not only resist mainstream hegemonic narratives, but also foster collective solidarity and celebration. Other than regular venues like the Barefoot Café, this time the event also includes the Rio Cinema Complex, a Tamil-owned movie theatre which was burned down during the ethnic riots of 1983, which sparked off decades of civil war. Participating international artists include Raven Chacon, the first Native American artist to receive the Pulitzer prize. He is exhibiting a set of compositional scores that will also be interpreted by local musicians during performances. Palestinian artist Basma Al Sharif’s theatrical installation, comprising printed banners, archival images and a fictional novella, reimagine her fractured history and identities. And then there is composer-artist Ayumi Paul, who presents a set of drawings on paper, installations and sound scores, which encourage visitors to discover deeper connections with each other and the universe-at-large.

In an interview with Mint, Natasha Ginwala, artistic director, Colomboscope, discusses the evolution of the festival, the genesis of the theme and the idea of artistic freedom. Edited excerpts:

How has your association with the Colomboscope evolved?

When I joined in 2015, Colomboscope was still engaging with a post-war city in all its myriad contradictions. It was not as much focused on visual arts as the now defunct Colombo Art Biennale. That year I had worked as the curatorial advisor for My East is your West, a collateral event featuring Shilpa Gupta and Rashid Rana at the Venice Biennale supported by the Gujral Foundation. I also organised Ancestors, a series of programmes, which took place in Dhaka, Lahore, Jaffna and New Delhi. For me, those enduring relationships and alliances have informed Colomboscope and will continue to enable it.

How do you negotiate the balance between artistic freedom, event sustainability and patronage?

The first four editions of Colomboscope were largely funded by corporate sponsorship. We decided that it had to become an independent non-profit initiative. That meant that we had to become really small like a seed that had to be placed in a different soil to grow again, this time cared for by a set of independent cultural practitioners. With the institutional partners, foundations, museums, and biennials that we have partnered with since, there has been a long process of active learning and exchange. We waited to see if there was synergy. Now when partners join us as a friend or a patron of the festival, they are also committing to the holistic vision of what this platform stands for.

How did this edition’s theme ‘Rhythm Alliances’ come about?

When we think about different frameworks for each edition, we explore how the points of inquiry could originate from Sri Lanka and resonate with other parts of the Indian Ocean. The idea of rhythm was essential, given the rich heritage of ceremonial processions and musical histories across Sri Lanka. The practices of drumming and rituals also become critical in connecting the entire island, which has otherwise seen ethnic fissures and religious divides. We have further pondered about the meaning of rhythm in the present political moment, when it becomes an expression of protest and resistance. I was also thinking about the paradoxes of rhythm which underpin modernity, like industrial rhythms and how they have shaped capitalism. Hajra Haider Karrar, the guest curator of this year’s edition, works with Savvy Contemporary in Berlin, which engages deeply with storytelling, music, radio transmissions, and the sonic arts at large. She made for an ideal collaborator.

Could you highlight some of the programming that brings the idea to life?

In this edition, we have focused on embodied practices and inter-generational storytelling built on oral memories. This especially comes alive in the work, Arka Kinari, a solar-powered sailing ship traveling with musicians, artists and climate activists. It has travelled from Indonesia to Sri Lanka, and is moored in the contested port city extension of Colombo. They have been collecting traditional music, which is threatened with extinction and have a multilingual practice. A live performance on their floating stage has been memorable, as has been their Laboratory of Sustainability. The latter is an educational workshop conducted onboard for festival visitors to learn about the vessel’s ecologically conscious approaches and ideas. These are ways for us to reflect about the social fragmentation, but also offer us powerful ways of coming together in tenderness and in kinship.

Colomboscope continues till 31 January 2026 across multiple locations in Colombo.

Anindo Sen is an independent art writer.