Abstract:
Modern and contemporary art exhibitions in Colombo have historically been conducted almost
exclusively in English, reinforcing socio-cultural division by restricting artistic discourse to a
single linguistic community. This paper examines how trilingualism emerged as a form of cultural
mediation through a traceable trajectory originating in The A to Z of Conflict, a trilingual artists’
book produced over five years and published by Raking Leaves in 2019. The paper argues, first,
that the book simultaneously addresses Sri Lanka’s conflict history and proposes reconciliation
through its trilingual structure, placing Sinhala, Tamil, and English in deliberate equality. Second,
it examines how this approach was institutionalised at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary
Art Sri Lanka (MMCA) by Sharmini Pereira, who served as the book’s curator before becoming
MMCA’s Chief Curator, and how MMCA’s trilingual practice subsequently spread across Sri
Lanka’s wider contemporary art scene. The paper further draws attention to the continued
absence of equitable trilingual practice in Sri Lanka’s state museums, raising the question of
what national reconciliation through cultural institutions can mean without state commitment.
Drawing on Critical Museology and Contact Zone Theory, the paper demonstrates how artistic
and curatorial practice can intervene in post-conflict societies by transforming the politics of
language into platforms for dialogue and social cohesion.
