Shadow Scenes at Cinnamon Colomboscope 2015: A mélange of perspectives
“Let shadows tell their stories in the luminosity of a shared imagination and the intimacy of subjective experience.” ~~ Natasha Ginwala & Menika van der Poorten
Photograph courtesy Ruvin de Silva
Once an entertainment hotspot of Colombo’s elite, the formidable Rio complex now stands in disrepair, having fallen victim to the violence that tore through the city during the Black July riots, and has never really fully recovered. Today - a far cry from its glory days that saw the city’s crème de la crème patronise the cinema - the Rio is frequented by a meagre crowd for its adult movie screenings.
Photographs courtesy Ruvin de Silva
It may come as a surprise to some then, that the now notorious Rio complex was singled out to play host to the exhibition segment of the acclaimed multidisciplinary festival that is “Colomboscope”. Seeped in resplendent yet turbulent history, the Rio complex possesses a certain character, if you may, although barely a trace of its glory days remains. But there is little doubt that any other location in Colombo could have bested the Rio complex as a venue for Shadow Scenes. Like the city of Colombo - considering that Shadow Scenes seeks to understand the nuances of the city - the Rio has had its fare share of ups and downs.
Photograph courtesy Ruvin de Silva
The Rio is unpretentiously welcoming, despite its dodgy entrance, perilously damaged stairways and dark corridors. The airy 7th floor especially, is a welcome respite from the gloriously hot day. The definitive dichotomy of the views from the topmost floor is undeniable - much like the premise of Shadow Scenes, with its fair share of engaging reality and imagined future. Shadow Scenes included a healthy combination of both local and international artists who have merged reality and fiction seamlessly.
While the event was curated by Natasha Ginwala and Menika van der Poorten, the works by these 40+ participating artists were as diverse as you would imagine, with various mediums being employed such as film, installation, photography and performance. Interestingly, many of the artists seemed to have incorporated the elements of their allocated space into their installations - be it the peeling paint, uneven floors or even the flooded rooms, as they meticulously transformed the hotel’s rooms to represent an idea or notion relating to aspects of urbanisation, colonial legacy, cultural identity and communal memory. Rather than supersede peers, the artists appear to have fed off each other’s energy, and instead, inadvertently supplemented the work of their fellow colleagues.
One could not help but notice that the event was patronised by - for the most part - a rather elitist and/or expat clientele with nary a bourgeois attendee in sight. While Shadow Scenes would have undoubtedly appealed to a wider and more inclusive audience, there is no doubt that multicultural festivals in Sri Lanka inadvertently exude a kind of exclusivism. Nevertheless, Shadow Scenes was, without doubt, a successful venture - the themes explored were all thoroughly thought provoking, offering the exhibitions visitor’s food for thought.
Photograph courtesy Ruvin de Silva
Reviewed by Rihaab Mowlana
Photographs for Life Online by Samantha Perera
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