A Museum-in-Making: Sandev Handy on Curating Diverse Art Histories in Sri Lanka
Recorded on 15 November 2021
“(It is important to) think about cultural practice, cultural history and cultural heritage as ongoing, as constantly being redefined, changed and questioned everyday, as something that is present, something that is practice more than a time-stamp,” says artist, curator and educator Sandev Handy as he discusses the role of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka, Colombo, (hereafter referred to as the MMCA) within the cultural landscape of Sri Lanka. Conceptualised in 2016, the MMCA defines itself as an “…education-led initiative that aims to establish a public museum dedicated to the display, research, collection and conservation of modern and contemporary art.” Its aim, says Handy who is part of the MMCA’s curatorial team, is to create a space that is compelling, inclusive and relevant to the context of Sri Lanka. Interestingly, Handy refers to it as a “museum-in-making.” This means that it is a work-in-progress, but also that it is an inquiry into the possibilities of art rather than a shrine to dominant art histories. It offers a space of learning, exploration and reflection. As a cultural institution, it privileges collaborative and collective work with diverse audiences in an attempt to refine what it means to be a museum in Sri Lanka today.
Handy’s work is multifaceted and his art practice spans not only the artistic, but also the curatorial and pedagogical. Over time, the boundaries between these roles have blurred, compelling him to revisit the very idea of art. “I am not sure if I, as an artist, believe anymore that art has a direct impact in affecting, or changing, the physical make-up of the world. What I do think is that it has the power to provide some really important and pertinent moments of reflection,” he explains. This contemplation drives his interest in thinking about the potential of cultural spaces to drive such moments of reflection. For Handy, the artist, the educator and the curator exist as one polygonal entity in such spaces.
In this episode, Handy speaks to Ketaki Varma about the making of the MMCA; the process of curating art histories that are complicated and diverse; the intersecting strands that comprise his practice; the importance of collective cultural work; and upcoming projects at the museum.
(Featured Image: Curator of Education and Public Programmes, Ruhanie Perera engaged in a lesson with students from the Academy of Design for the exhibition 'one hundred thousand small tales,' at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Sri Lanka, 2020. Image courtesy of MMCA Sri Lanka.)
Sandev Handy is presently on residency at Atelier Mondier. To know more, click here.
To read more about Handy’s work, please click here.
The ASAP Cast series is supported by the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts.
