Theertha Artists Collective
Theertha is an artists led initiative, found in 2000, based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
09/07/2024
20th Century Sri Lankan Visual Art exhibition at Rahula College, Matara from 15th to 21st July (except Sunday and Monday). FOC. Co-funded by Theertha and Freedom Hub.
ශ්රී ලාංකික දෘෂ්ය කලාව විසිවන සියවස චිත්ර හා මූර්ති ප්රදර්ශනය සියලු පාසල් සිසුන් සඳහා ප්රදර්ශන වේලාව නැවත සංශෝධනය කර තිබේ ඒ අනුව ජුලි 15 සිට 21 දක්වා පෙරවරු 10 සිට පාසල් ළමුන් සඳහා ප්රදර්ශනය විවෘත වේ. චිත්ර විෂය හදාරන සිසුන් සමඟ ප්රදර්ශනය නැරඹීමට සියලුම චිත්ර ගුරුවරුන්ට ආරාධනා කෙරේ.
26/04/2024
Theertha Artists Collective had its firstTheertha Art Talks planned to be held every 3rd Saturday at Rajasinghe Mawatha, Athurugiriya. The talk was given by Jagath Weerasinghe and this was held on 20 April 2024.
04/12/2022
Come to Rio!
Final Day of the Performances!
10am to 10pm at Rio-Complex
03/12/2022
Final Day of the Performances!
10am to 10pm at Rio-Complex
02/12/2022
Opening Conversation and Seminar on performances.
Theertha Performance Platformm-2022
01/12/2022
Seminar on performances
2nd December 4.30pm at Rio
01/12/2022
Seminar on performances
Friday, 2nd December 2022, At Rio-Complex
Theertha Performance Platform - 2022
30/11/2022
Theertha Performance Platform - 2022
TPP 2022
18/11/2022
Save the dates!
http://theertha.org/theertha-performance-platform-2022/
15/11/2022
Performance workshop-2022
Registration now open
Please send an e-mail to [email protected] with your cv, images and videos of our previous works.
Performance workshop-2022
Registration now open
Please send an e-mail to [email protected] with your cv, images and videos of our previous works.
31/10/2022
'' The Smell'' Theertha Performance Platform - 2022
More details coming soon!
"This is the text of the letter forwarded today to the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence concerning the arrest of Performance Artist Shanil Rukshan Senadeera"
24/08/2022
Release Shalika Rukshan Senadheera immediately
Dear Sir,
Visual Art represents a powerful form of expression. Performance Art, generally considered under the broader umbrella of visual art, is a progressive development of this form of powerful expression. Therefore one must consider visual art practice as well as visual art literacy as a criterion of a society's development. It indicates an advancement in the way people experience and interpret the world. We believe that such an advancement can justifiably considered to be an index of a country's development.
We are disturbed and immensely concerned by the arrest of the young artist, Shalika Rukshan Senadheera, for presenting a performance art during a protest rally in Colombo. It is well-known that an act of justice should not only be just but should also appear to be just for any external observer. In this sense at least it is clear that this is a crude failure and an act of injustice conducted against the freedom of expression.
Even more worryingly, this can only be read as an indirect warning against the very practice of visual art in this country. It seeks to curtail its potential as a powerful medium of expression. We fear that this could only lead to an erosion of the cultural advancements we have made as a society and can only pull us further back in terms of the general historical progress of humanity.
We hereby express our dissent for the arrest of Shalika Rukshan Senadheera and demand his immediate release and ensure freedom of expression in the field of visual arts.
Professor Godwin Constantine
Chair
Theertha International Artists’ Collective
Emeritus Professor Jagath Weerasinghe Chair Emeritus
Theertha International Artists Collective
Theertha International Artists’ Collective
Theertha is an autonomous, artist-led non-profit initiative based in Colombo. Theertha has undertaken a considerable amount of art activities since its inception in 2000. First, started by 11 visual artists to facilitate international art exchange through international artist workshops in Sri Lanka, it has expanded its activities to include art education through art teacher training, publications on art/culture, workshops for artists, international and local exhibitions. Through these activities, Theertha has intervened positively to create awareness on the contemporary art and its ideologies among the art students and the artists’ community-based in Colombo and selected communities in the regional areas. Through their art publication, they also have tried to disseminate discussions on current art/ culture issues to a larger community within Sri Lanka.
Theertha, who support the art of the 90’s trend which challenged the existing aesthetics, methodologies, and ideology in art making has always emphasized and encouraged innovative and experimental ideas among artists. Theertha has showcased some of the innovative artworks done by contemporary artists. Through the patronage of Theertha the relatively new art forms to Sri Lanka such as performance art and installation got the opportunity and forums to expand and evolve.
Theertha activities that need exhibition spaces increased considerably over the years, While, Sri Lankan art community grew and the global connections have expanded the goals, aspirations, and needs of artists, the infrastructure to support greater visibility and art presentations mechanisms to local and international audiences have been slow to meet international standards and requirements. Therefore, Theertha established its own alternative art space ‘Red Dot Gallery’ in 2007 in order to showcase the experimental and contemporary art produced within its programs.
To open up avenues for local artists and maintain connection internationally Theertha invests a considerable amount of their energy, resources, and expertise on building up close relations with international art managers, artists, art institutions and funding bodies. Theertha facilitated artists’ mobility through its regularly held international art workshops and residencies. As a result of these activities, Theertha was able to be a founding partner of the ‘Network’, a South Asia based network of artists with Pakistan (Vasl), India (Khoj), Nepal (Sutra) and Bangladesh (Britto Arts Trust). Other networks have been formed and connections expanded over the 15 years of Theertha’s existence, which has resulted in interesting and innovative collaborations internationally and in Sri Lanka.
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