On View
Three Songs of Ceylon
23 January 202611 February 2026
‘Three Songs of Ceylon’ takes as its starting point a propaganda film titled ‘The Song of Ceylon’ (1934) commissioned under British colonial rule.
This exhibition traces how, in the decades that followed, two artists re-visited this film from two distinct vantage points, each producing an alternate ‘song’ as a response.
By bringing together each of these three songs of Ceylon into conversation with recent moving image works by contemporary artists, this exhibition explores how stories are told, retold, and unsettled through the medium of moving images.
Curated by Sandev Handy, assisted by Thinal Sajeewa and Nimaya Harris, the exhibition features works by Bani Abidi (b.1971), Basil Wright (1907–1987), Imaad Majeed (b.1991), John Grierson (1897–1972), Laleen Jayamanne (b.1947), Lionel Wendt (1900–1944), Mark LaPore (1952–2005), Rosalind Nashashibi (b.1973), Sharika Navamani (b.1990), and Walter Leigh (1905–1942).
‘Three Songs of Ceylon’ is presented as part of the Art Exchange: Moving Image programme. The Art Exchange: Moving Image programme is supported by the British Council and organised by LUX and Art South Asia Project. The exhibition is generously supported by Park Street Mews, Goethe Institut Sri Lanka, Fulbright Sri Lanka, and the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies.
Gallery 1
Home, Land, Survey, Country
1Fig. 1 90° 18’ 43.057 N 80° 47’ 11.726, E (2014)
Cassie Machado (b. 1982)
2Barrelism Tourist Map (1997)
Chandraguptha Thenuwara (b. 1960)
3GPS Drawing: Jaffna to Delft, 9.30 am to 10.30 am, Boat, 10 Feb 2015 (2015)
Muhanned Cader (b. 1966)
4GPS Drawing: Jaffna Hostel (Kalviyankadu) to Ramanathan Academy (Maruthanarmadam), Three-wheeler, 12 km, 26 April 2012 (2012)
Muhanned Cader (b. 1966)
5GPS Drawings, England 2011, Oxford to Paddington, Train, 1.01 pm to 2 pm, 2011 (2011)
Muhanned Cader (b. 1966)
6GPS drawing: Killinochi to Vavuniya, Train, 2011 (2011)
Muhanned Cader (b. 1966)
7GPS Drawing: Kudirimale to Wilpattu National Park Gate, 53km, 1.40 pm to 5.40 pm, Jeep, 7 October 2017 (2017)
Muhanned Cader (b. 1966)
8GPS Drawing: Fuengirola to Córdoba, 8.30 am to 11.18 am, Bus, 9 August 2017 (2017)
Muhanned Cader (b. 1966)
9GPS Drawing: Babaragasthalawa to Kumana campsite, 10 km, 1.15 hr, Jeep Toyota 4×4, June 2011 (2011)
Muhanned Cader (b. 1966)
10Independence Day Colombo 1991 (1991)
Stephen Champion (b. 1959)
11St Peter’s Old Boys Reunion, Colombo (1991)
Stephen Champion (b. 1959)
12Private Lessons, Colombo (1991)
Stephen Champion (b. 1959)
13Rosie’s Deportment Class, Colombo (1989)
Stephen Champion (b. 1959)
14Tourist, Ahungalla (1991)
Stephen Champion (b. 1959)
15Spoken English, Balangoda (1988)
Stephen Champion (b. 1959)
16If You Boycott the Elections the Penalty Is Death, PRRA, Peoples Revolutionary Red Army, Galle (1989)
Stephen Champion (b. 1959)
17Corridors of Power: Drawing and Modelling Sri Lanka’s Tryst with Democracy (2015)
Channa Daswatte (b. 1965), Sanjana Hattotuwa (b. 1977), Asanga Welikala (b. 1976)
18Andare of Sri Lanka (1978)
Tilak Samarawickrema (b. 1943)
19Andare of Sri Lanka (1978)
Tilak Samarawickrema (b. 1943)
20Ceylon Since Soulbury Part I: A History in Cartoons by Collette (1948)
Aubrey Collette (1920–1992)
21Sinhala English Dictionary in a Steel Jail (2007)
Kingsley Gunatillake (b. 1951)
22The One Year Drawing Project: May 2005–October 2007 (2008)
Muhanned Cader (b. 1966) , T. Shanaathanan (b. 1969), Chandraguptha Thenuwara (b. 1960), Jagath Weerasinghe (b. 1954)
23Purification Ritual in the Manik Ganga, Kataragama, Ceylon (1957)
Reg van Cuylenburg (1926–1988)
24Hindu Penitent with Kavadi, Kataragama, Ceylon (1957)
Reg van Cuylenburg (1926–1988)
25Hindu Penitent, Kataragama, Ceylon (1957)
Reg van Cuylenburg (1926–1988)
26Nowhere Is Now Here (1985)
Laki Senanayake (b. 1937)
Three Songs of Ceylon
1No More Land (2024)
Anoma Rajakaruna (b. 1965)
Related Programs
Online
Reading Group - 31 May 2024
‘Imagining Minnette’ with Irushi Tennekoon and Ruhanie Perera
Learn More
Reading Group
Reading Group: ‘On Minnette De Silva and Architectural Method’ with Tariq Jazeel
Learn More
Onsite
Lecture
‘Contested Lands: Ownership, Occupation, and Heritage Today’ with Bhavani Fonseka
Learn More
For Kids
For Educators
Workshop - 1 June 2024
‘Creating a Stamp of Minnette’ with Kiyawana Muddara (for ages 18 and above)
Learn More
Workshop - 9 September 2023
‘Comic Making and Storytelling’ with Shenuka Corea (for ages 16 and above)
Learn MoreUpcoming Programmes
May 24
Lecture
‘Contested Lands: Ownership, Occupation, and Heritage Today’ with Bhavani Fonseka
Learn More
Support Us
Support us to create Sri Lanka’s first publicly accessible museum of modern and contemporary art.
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka invites you to get involved through becoming a member or making a donation to our activities. Join Us