Rhizome - A New Art Project In Colombo 7

What does AI say about the botanical term "rhizome" and its relation to art? "In art, a rhizome is a concept developed by philosophers Deleuze & Guattari that represents a non-hierarchical, multi-connected, constantly growing network, similar to the root system of a plant, symbolising freedom from singular origins or rigid structures. It is often found in digital art, in non-linear narratives or hybrid forms that emphasise 'becoming' and interconnectedness over fixed meaning or representation. It is an anti-structure: a map, not a tracing, without a centre, enabling radical connections and transformations."

With this claim, a new art gallery in Colombo opened its doors last Tuesday, welcoming its first visitors to Senanayake Mawatha 31/4, in the immediate vicinity of the Goethe-Institut. Does the gallery live up to the above-mentioned concept? Visitors are greeted by a neutral and minimalistically renovated two-storey townhouse in a rear courtyard with a total of seven exhibition rooms, in which works by 51 artists to date are presented using a picture rail system. This guarantees flexible addition and interchangeability. For visitors encountering the Sri Lankan art scene for the first time, it may be challenging to become familiar with all the names and descriptions. On the other hand, it is also an almost museum-like advantage to be able to obtain such a compact overview. The accompanying catalogue offers considerable assistance in this regard and is of exceptionally high quality. Its authors are the six founding members of Rhizome, who also serve as the curating team: Sanjeewa Kumara, Sujeewa Kumari, Vajira Gunawardena, Prageeth Rathnayake, Saman Wijesooriya and Chaturanga Gamage. Each of them is also represented as an artist, which distinguishes the concept from other curated exhibition concepts in Colombo: artists empower themselves, network, grow through constant exchange with one another and present their work with a different, maybe freer perspective than profit-oriented curators can offer. There seems to be room for improvement in terms of hierarchy: 14% of the artists exhibited are women, which seems rather low considering the large number of female artists in Sri Lanka. 

As the concept is defined as open, we can probably hope for a better balance in the future. Another point would be representativeness. While some artists are presented with only one work, others are represented with up to five works. As a rule, a single painting may say little about the personality of an artist. As a visitor, I would like to see each artist presented with one wall on which up to five works could give a more satisfactory impression of their overall oeuvre. That would mean only half as many artists, but not every rhizome has to sprawl excessively; as in the case of mangrove forests, it can also offer generous passageways and thoroughfares for visitors. 

With this in mind, we wish this undoubtedly interesting project balanced prosperity and generous growth! 

Artist and curator Sujeewa Kumari

talking with a visitor

Artists A. C. Nuwan, Vajira Gunawardena, 

Aloka Bandara and Saman Wijesooriya

infront of a metal-artwork (Fish)

by Prageeth Manohansa

VWBPE Contribution 2024: Back To The Future - Extraterrestrial Myths Of Origin

Seven artists decided not to visualise past myths of origin, but transfer the imagination to a future on extraterrestrial planets. So it turned out as a multimedia project, because everybody had to invent a textual myth and present that with the  artistic options of virtual worlds.

These are the individual concepts (alphabetical sequence), which include also a description for the interactivity and the immersion, that can be achieved by diving into the specific virtual installation:

1. Asmita Duranjaya (host and artist) visualizes a future planet and the contact of humans with light-beings, the Luminites. 

The Luminites on the Planet Xyron

Visitors can immersively experience the scenery by clicking for the myth-tale and reading the questions; then they can interactively suggest some answers concerning the contact by dropping a notecard into a device.

Interactive task:

- Click on one of the flat lotus-pads (according to your language) and read the "myth of origin" related to the

Luminites.

- Sit on the seat in the middle and press the esc-button: you will slowly rotate and see the Luminites in the colour-rays.

- Open a new nc and write down your answer for the following questions:

   - How would the Luminites react, when humans would arrive on their planet?

   - How would the humans react, when they discover the presence of the Luminites?

   - How can the story continue? Write a future concept for the planet of Xyron.

- Drop your nc into one of the purple lotus- boxes beside this board.

interstellART_exhibitions (570, 369, 2075)

2. Azi Az (artist) has decided to present an external scenery on her own sim. Visitors can tp and return.

The artist visualizes the Mythic Origin of the Planet SunLua , long ago when the Sun crashed with the Moon there was an explosion......the explosion was so strong and powerfull that something very special happened .....LOVE...

What can you do there? Let you surprise ...

interstellART_exhibitions (371, 679, 2075)

3. Barret Darkfold (artist) visualizes a New Catalonia on an extraterrestrial planet.

Myth of the origins of the Catalans of the planet Terros: It is said that the Catalans of the planet Terros are the descendants of the union between the Catalans who lived inside Gemdos and Gemdos itself.  Gemdos was a living galactic supership with all the necessary functions, created by the ancient Catalans to move and terraform uninhabited planets and give them their own life and population. That is why they are not affected by gravity and can move in time.

What can you do here?

- Read the Myth of New Catalonia;

- sit on one of the Sardana-balls and dance with the Catalans;

- tp inside Gemdos and read the myth of origin;

- tp back to Terros and walk around the landscape;

- feel the energy of shape, color and movement in this installation

interstellART_exhibitions (556, 551, 2075)

4. Caro Fayray (artist) visualizes the Mythic Origin of the Planet POD.

A strange new planet rose from the fire in the sky.  With the land still moving and emerging, PODS are the only living growing things. But the pods are evolving into a weird new life form which have learned to use the growing pods to live their lives there peacefully.

High in the single mountain is a fiery glow and myth has it, that if someone can reach the top they can bring back the glow to help protect and advance life on this planet. So all visitors are told of this myth, but so far no one has managed to reach the top.

Was this glow the origin of the planet?...No one knows...But the mountain is a sacred place held in reverence by the planets inhabitants.

There are many immersive and interactive elements in Caro's installation, which have to be discovered by the visitors:

- Where you arrive you can help tend the pods. 3 separate stages of growth.

- Walk through the mountain to read the boards on Mythic Origins.

- Have a hug. 

- Dance with the Pods. 

- Swing with the pods.

- Then climb the mountain through the clouds. 

- Negotiate the ice maze and reach the top to find your gifts from the Glow.

-  Wear your Glow Bird and Fly:)

interstellART_exhibitions (118, 442, 2078)

5. Sanjeewa Kumara (artist) visualizes the mythic origin of the planet Chromia. It is a planet purely born within painterly and with art techniques without the influence of a reflective and subconscious mind.

What can you do here?

- Read Sanjeewa's Myth Of Origin on the board at the landing spot;

- discover Sanjeewa's textures by buying the book for 0 and use it as a hud or

- by walking through the installation;

- dance with Sanjeewa's figures and enjoy the landscape with the moving moon.

interstellART_exhibitions (541, 173, 2075)

6. Shenn Tao (artist) created the Myth of the Zenari, a species on the planet Xyloth, who developed a religion comparable to the Buddhism on Earth.

What can you do here?

- Read the myth at the landing area;

- explore the impressive artistic style of Shenn's sculptures;

- Walk or fly around and let you inspire by the meditative energy of the place.

interstellART_exhibitions (166, 252, 2076)

7. Sujeewa Kumari (artist) visualizes the mythic origin of the planet Zenthoria, where the inhabitants live in highly technologized bubbles, which are floating in the air and like a floating house they can move wherever they want. 

What can you experience here?

- Read Sujeewa's Myth OF Origin by clicking the info-board;

- sit on the globes and discover many sitting, movement and dance-poses and animations;

- buy the art chair on the landing spot for 0 and use it for your purposes;

- sit on the rock for a meditation and enjoy the environment and the Theta-sound;

- read about the artist and her development.

- touch the objects and find out, whether there is a specific sound.

interstellART_exhibitions (244, 631, 2074)

And as an additional ennvironment:

Enter OS Grid, create or modify your avatar, choose the profile of Asmita Duranjaya, go to her recommendations and choose VWBPE - enjoy!

Wankagiriya - Feelings Of Isolation And Distance

Another art-exhibition has been completed for the collaborative project "Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness", which will be opened in OSGrid on 21st of March at 2pm SLT. Sujeewa Kumari, a well reputed Sri Lankan artist, shows drawings and paintings created during the Corona-crisis with the title "wankagiriya", feelings of distance and isolation. The paintings can be bought in real and the artist will give a special discount for visitors of the VWBPE-event, who decide there to buy one. Ask Asmita Duranjaya for details.

Sujeewa's work has been arranged by Asmita in cubes according to the wish of the artist and each cube is hollow and a visitor can sit inside and let him/her inspire by the artwork. It contains a chair with the specific texture, which can be taken as a freebie for 0L. 

The pictures are of a soft and sensitive beauty and are sold for a very reasonable price. Sri Lanka as an island was completely isolated during the last year of covid 19 and it was extremely difficult for artists to survive, because they live also from buyers and collectors, who come from outside the island. So each sold artwork is a help for the artists and their families. Two pictures are already sold.

"Wankagiriya" means something like maze. The maze is a symbol for the feelings in corona-times - we are in a trap and have to find the way out in a difficult terrain.

 

 

Mindful Memories by MindScape Artist Sujeewa Kumari

The artist explains: "In my most recent works, comes to terms with de-realized memories derived by history, tradition and daily life reality, to formulate a compelling artistic synthesis of cultural images.

My work following a surrealist tradition to open my dreamy realistic cosmos. In the subtle elegant style combines thin lines and fluid ink washed clouds with detailed portraits, space and objects  and symbols, together they form dreamy light translucent layers and structures on the paper/canvas.

My use of color is very subtle but pointed. I  evolves a distinct mystic appearance to refer to my memories, hidden desires and a spiritual self-discovery."

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nice%20Atoll/93/170/1013 .

Sujeewa Kumari was educated at the Institute of Aesthetic Studies at the University of Kelaniya, and completed her MFA at the Dutch Art Institute in the Netherlands, where she began explored her experimental spirit as a female contemporary artist. Within her early body of works the artist expresses her point of view as a woman in Sri Lanka, focusing on her female identity in the contemporary art scene and society based on her experiences, and her research on the concept of post-colonial identity discourse. In her most recent artworks Kumari comes to terms with de-realized memories derived by history, tradition and daily life reality, to formulate a compelling artistic synthesis of cultural images. Her body of work varies from new media techniques as digital photograph collages, video installations and performance, however she is most recognised for her mixed media drawings. In every medium she is following a surrealist tradition to open her dreamy realistic cosmos to the viewer. The essence of her work is that she refuses an explanation in favor of an open strategy, not to “over-think” her compositions, as she puts it. In her subtle elegant style, Kumari combines thin lines and fluid ink washed clouds with detailed portraits, everyday objects and symbols, together they form dreamy light translucent layers and structures on the paper. Her use of color is very subtle but pointed. In favor of a magic realism, she evolves a distinct mystic appearance to refer to her memories, hidden desires and a spiritual self-discovery of historical constructed identities of “self” and “other”. The spectator is encouraged to discover these hybrid images, invoking an empathy with the presented contemplative strangers and think about one’s own place in Kumaris enchanting oeuvre. Sujeewa Kumari has held solo shows in the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.

http://www.artspacesrilanka.com/artists/sujeewa-kumari.html .