The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka) is pleased to announce that it has moved from its temporary premises at Crescat Boulevard, Colombo 3 in order to focus on the next phase of the museum’s development. This new phase will accelerate the planning, training, and programming required to open, staff, and operate Sri Lanka’s first permanent museum for modern and contemporary art. The MMCA Sri Lanka looks forward to increasing engagement with schools and the artistic community to build wider audience awareness about the role museums play today. Stay tuned for what the museum in store.
“The MMCA Sri Lanka was established from the ground up, and has grown into a pioneering cultural institution in a short space of time,” said Ajit Gunewardene, Chair of the MMCA Sri Lanka Committee. “The achievements of the past five years have come about through the unwavering dedication of our team, the generosity of all our supporters, and the enthusiasm of the public whose continued engagement has affirmed the need for such a museum,” he added.
Since opening in 2019, the MMCA Sri Lanka has emerged as a leader in museum learning and accessibility, delivering free, trilingual, curriculum-driven activities in Sinhala, Tamil, and English for students of schools and higher educational institutions. The next phase of development will involve growing the MMCA Sri Lanka team, prioritising training efforts, building partnerships, and focusing on the museum’s collection and curatorial programmes in conversation with local and international artists and supporters.
“Driving an initiative of this scale and ambition, from concept to completion, will always rely on people,” said Sharmini Pereira, Chief Curator at the MMCA Sri Lanka. She added that, “As the first museum of its kind, the MMCA Sri Lanka is setting a new institutional precedent, establishing practices, roles, and career options that do not exist in the country. By investing in the training of a new generation of skilled cultural practitioners, we are shaping the future of the country’s museum sector.”
The MMCA Sri Lanka is an education-led initiative that aims to establish a public museum dedicated to the display, research, collection, and conservation of modern and contemporary art for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public, schools, and tourists. Information about the museum, and its exhibitions and public programmes can be found via their website www.mmca-srilanka.org, or on Facebook at The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka and Instagram at @mmcasrilanka.
