Trilingualism as Cultural Mediation in Sri Lanka’s Contemporary Art Scene

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.