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| Sunday, 19 September 2004 |
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Features |  |
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Aham Puram : Celebrating the spirit of life Aham Puram, an exhibition of more than 60 art works of 27 artists
representing the 1990s trend of visual arts in the South, and an A result of long-term dialogue between a group of artists from Jaffna and Colombo, it intends to strengthen a forum for cultural exchange through the sharing of their experiences as artists and social beings who have lived through chaotic and violent environment. Artists T. Shanaathanan and Jagath Weerasinghe, explaining the concept of the exhibition, describe the Sri Lankan consciousness between Aham (inner self or insider) and Puram (other or outsider) as a highly complex one, as in many other post-traditional societies in Asia. Originating from the social hierarchies of traditional cast systems and social anxieties during colonial rule, Sri Lankan Aham Puram is entangled with ethnic and religious identities. Each ethnic or religious group in Sri Lanka sees the other as Puram which widens the gap between Aham and Puram and aggeravates the sense of tension. Yet, years of social chaos has not subdued the spirit of life. The notions of Aham-Puram in the core of Sri Lankan culture have gained newer meanings and facets of existence. Aham has become the mirror image of Puram, its existence and meaning depending on, and including Puram. The anxieties of suspicion and fear that ensue when confronting Puram make us realise the meaning of Aham and take us to the wider world of Puram with an insuppressible yearning to grasp the subtleties of Aham. The art installations on show is a definitive but modest manifestation of a minor shift which has occurred in the thinking layer of Sri Lankan society. The exhibition is solely an attempt to bring out "meanings" however fragile they could be to a present which is demoralised. "History of Histories", an installation by T. Shanaathanan, S. Kannan, K. Tamilini, K.S. Kumutha and R. Vasanthini, collaborated by people of Jaffna, takes the Buddhist jataka tale of a mother, looking for a handful of rice from a house where death had not occurred, and depicts a work that has been done from materials collected from 500 houses in the Jaffna peninsula, amalgamating a memory of 20 years. The most historical and socially salient characteristic of the 90's trend in the visual arts is that it consciously tries to define art as an expression of "now" and "right here", or art and art making process as contemporary. All artists on show present their creative engergies in the "current cultural moment." To the contemporary local artist who realises the inadequacy of premises and conventions set by modernism in recording the life of "now" and "here" in today's Sri Lanka, art is an intervention into the very moment of living and to the dialectics of living in a society that keeps continuously perpetuating violence in every possible form and level as an extension to the science of "democratic" politics. Its day to day frustrations and despair is a condition that is universal and boundless in the socio political terrain of Sri Lanka. Adaraneeya Vassanaya : Too sentimental and over sensationalised by Ranga Jayasuriya When I was still a teenager, a friend of mine gave me a copy of Upul Shantha Sannasgala's teenage romantic adventure, which was then serialised in a youth newspaper.
I found myself in a minority with my friends blaming me for lacking sensitivity. Last week, when I watched Adaraneeya Vassanaya, the movie of the same novel, I didn't find any of my school friends in the queue. I didn't expect to meet them there either. They have grown too old to be attracted by a teenage romantic adventure of the Adaraneeya Vassanaya genre. But, I found teens, some students, some just out of school filling the vacuum left by my friends, thus filling the market for Sannasgala. Sannasgala's novel is beautifully written though it was somewhat over sensationalised. The challenge for the director, Senesh Bandara Dissanayake was to sum up this over sensationalised and sentimental melodrama into a two and half hour movie, while keeping the spirit of the original novel. The director had to recreate the carefree world of teenage romantic adventurism depicted in Sannasgala's novel. That was a paramount requirement to make the movie a financial success for without beautifully crafted visuals, the movie would have lost the appeal of the novel which has a backdrop of high emotions, tear jerking sentimentalism, love at first sight. The director has managed to combine these elements. He has brought his youth audience to an exaggerated world of teenage romance and kept them there till the end of the movie. This is itself an achievement as most movies of this kind were absolute failures from their very outset. I don't believe either the director Dissanayake or the producer cum script writer Sannasgala wanted to make a cinematic master piece. there is little doubt that their objective was to cash in a prevailing trend for young romance. Having taught A/L students for quite a long time, Sannasgala must know what the youth want, their emotions and of course means to fuel their emotions. When writing the novel and then making the script, he has made sure to cater to these emotions. And Dissanayake has tried his best not to deviate from this original line. Sannasgala and Dissanayake now cash in their success to address the teen hearts. As I write this the film is about to pass its 100 day milestone. I am appreciative of the film's commercial success. But, I am disappointed that the success is only commercial. The film does not appeal to me. I found it too sensationalised and too sentimental. Adaraneeya Vassanaya is a story of two teenagers who fall in love at first sight, but whose romance is marred by illness of the girl and violence committed by her cousin. The girl is suffering from a spine disorder, which suddenly paralyse her, confining her to a wheelchair. The two lovers are separated as the girl is sent abroad for medical treatment at the expense of her cousin. This devastates the life of the boy, who however enters university, but ends up an alcoholic, drinking on money he earned as a tuition teacher. There enters the role of another teenager. A female student of the young tuition master who is on an ambitious effort to win her tuition master's heart. But the boy's emotional attachment to his lost love is such, that the teenager's offer is rejected. after all sort of intrusion to the boy's life, the girl student is left untouched. After, much turmoil, the film comes to a happy ending. The two lovers meet each other. The girl ran away with the boy breaking the grip of her cousin who has now become her husband. So the teenage audience is inspired to meet the challenge, take the risk and to run away into an unforseen little world of theirs. To me, Adaraneeya Vassanaya is only one of a long list of youthful romance. I am not impressed, nor do I recommend my colleagues to see it. But. I do understand that the movie enjoyed a large teenage audience, who I guess must have found it interesting. Indeed, teenagers and those who were just out of their teen were the target of the director. I have not heard any of the film crew talk about the artistic superiority of the film. If there is any such talk, I consider them rubbish. But I do know the film is a huge commercial success. After all, if Sannasgala and Dissanayake can make a film which can be a block buster and teenagers in thousands amass to watch it, why should we interrupt them. That is, after all, their legitimate right of expression. Secrets of a thousand and one islands An exhibition of stone carvings that reflect an ancient culture and furniture and statues that echo history, from the mystical islands of Java, Irian Jaya, Sulawesi, Batubulan, Lombok and Timor that got under way at the hermitage gallery, 28, Gower Street, Colombo 5, on September 16 will conclude today.
From Irian Jaya and Sulawesi come 'primitive' furniture and artifacts. From Sulawesi are the mats and the carpets intricately woven from rattan and bamboo. The Javanese furniture includes benches, tables, a teak screen and Judangs' - which are antique tribal gift boxes. Gifts of food and clothes were placed in these carved boxes and offered to friends and relatives on ceremonial occasions. Displayed together with this exotic new collection is an even larger selection of Hermitage's signature line of exquisite Indian furniture, trendy colourful Rajasthani hurries, bed and cushion covers, ethnic silver jewellery and whimsical collectibles. A rare collection of over 1500 postcards of Old Ceylon, circa late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is also on display together with antique maps and prints of Old Ceylon, photographs by Lionel Wendt and masterpieces of art by the renowned 43 group of painters such as George Keyt, Ivan Peiris and LTP Manjusri. Young eye on nature The 'Young eye on nature' photographic exhibition of the Young The unique feature of this year's exhibition is that, apart from the regular nature photography, some exhibits will portray unique and rare behaviourial patterns of mammals, reptiles, birds, aquatic life and flora - the major groups of the biological world. All photos on display are shot exclusively by members of the association, who have successfully completed the comprehensive training course in wild life photography conducted by the association. The main objective of this exhibition is to promote awareness about the concept of 'Nature conservation' among Sri Lankans. There will be over 100 photos by 35 YZA members on display. Celebrating 25 years Gratien Ananda will celebrate 25 years in music with a super concert titled Ananda Rathriya at the BMICH on September 25 at 6.00 p.m.
Singers Latha Walpola, Angelene Goonatillake, Neela Wickramasinghe, Shyami Fonseka, Uresha Ravihari, Champa Kalhari, Samitha Mudunkotuwa and Nirosha Virajini will participate at the concert. Ananda's wife Srima Abeykoon, son Mario and daughter Dulanjali will also sing at the concert. Ananda released his first cassette in 1978, and has to date sung 550 songs. His first film song was the duet Bindu bindu kandulu gala with Shyami Fonseka for the film Mal Kekulu. Ananda has also worked as music director for many films; the first being K. A. W. Perera's Durga and his first tele-drama was Gamana. (A.A.) |
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installation collaborated by Jaffna artists, titled History of Histories,
is currently being held at the Jaffna Library and will continue until
October 5.
The novel didn't impress me. I found it to be too sentimental and over
sensationalised. But I knew some of my teenage friends were quite taken up
with the book.
The cornerstone of the collection is indigenous granite and sandstone
from Batubulan, exquisitely carved into beautiful garden nymphs, outdoor
lamps and other unusual garden accessories.
Zoologists' Association of Sri Lanka will be held at the British Council
hall from September 23 to 25. The exhibition will be open to the public
from 9.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
