Neil Butler has been appointed Director to work alongside Director and Founder Annoushka Hempel on the 2012 Colombo Art Biennale, 'Becoming' 15 - 19 Febuary, 2012.

Colombo Arts Biennale created an exhibition that consisted of the work of 15 artists in full colour double page spreads in a variety of Sri Lankan papers. It is also being published in Austrian newspapers and every Monday in the New York Times supplement of Der Standard.

You can see the full exhibition here (click English version) in association with the Vienna Museum in Progress run by our International curator Roman Berka.

Download a PDF of the Colombo Arts Festival Catalogue - click here

The Colombo Art Biennale 2012 team are proud to announce a list of Sri Lankan artists who will be participating in the Biennale:-

Anoli Perera - Colombo

Anomaa Rajakaruna - Panadura

Anura Krishanta - Matara

Bala Murugan - Jaffna

Bandu Manamperi - Bandaragama

Chandragupta Thenuwara - Galle

Dhanushka Amarasekara - Colombo

Dominic Sansoni - Colombo

‘Fireflies’ featuring:

Lakisha Fernando – Colombo/Kaluthara, Manori Jayasinghe – Colombo, Therica Miyanadeniya – Colombo/Matale-Kurunegala, Vijayalan Thujiba – Jaffna, Inoka De Silva – Kandy, Janany Cooray – Colombo, Krishanthi Sepalika – Ratnapura/Embilipitiya, Manori Gamarachchi – Colombo, H D Shamila – Anuradhapura, Niranjala Gunasekera – Colombo, Priyanthi Kumari – Colombo, Layla Gonaduwa -  Colombo/Kandy

Jagath Weeresinghe - Colombo

Jananada Laksiri -

Kannan Arunasalam - Jaffna

Koralegedara Pushpakumara - Kandy

Kusal Gunasekara - Wattala

Leo Pasqualge - Colombo

Malaka Dewapriya - Colombo

Manori Jayasinghe - Colombo

Maya Bastian -

Menika van der Poorten -

Pala Pothupitiye - Deniyaya

Pradeep Chandrasiri - Kandy

Pradeep Thalawatte -

Sanath Kalubadana - Ingiriya

Tisath Thoradeniya - Kandy

Vaidehi Rajasingham - Jaffna

Vimukkthi Jayasundara - Colombo

These local artists will be exhibiting alongside acclaimed artistic names from the international spectrum:-

David Barbarino - Germany

Aaron Burton- Australia

Sujan Chitrakar - Nepal

Christian Eisenberger- Austria

Hanna Hollmann- Austria

Erik van Lieshout – Netherlands

Erik Pirolt- Norway

Jesper Nordahl- Sweden

Nigel Sense- Australia

Madiha Sikander - Pakistan

Tori Wraanes- Norway

Umesh Madanhalli – India

Shanthamani M – India

For more information please contact 
Annoushka Hempel
Founder & Director
Colombo Art Biennale (Pvt) Ltd

MEDIATIONS is an innovative art project that uses media as message.

Pause and think about the creative vision of artists and the power and potential of visual art in our daily lives.

Art works done by reputed local and international artists published in the form of an exhibition series in the Daily Mirror, Daily FT, and Sunday Times as well as in the Austrian daily newspaper Der Standard in cooperation with museum in progress (Austria) and the Colombo Art Biennale 2012 – “BECOMING” curated by Roman Berka and Suresh Jayaram.

This is the complete list of participating artists:

Pradeep Chandrasiri (Sri Lanka)
N.S. Harsha (India)
Hanna Hollmann (Austria)
Janananda Laksiri (Sri Lanka)
Erik van Lieshout (Netherlands)
Anoli Perera (Sri Lanka)
Erik Pirolt (Norway)
Pala Pothupitiye (Sri Lanka)
Vaidehi Raja (Sri Lanka)
Anomaa Rajakaruna (Sri Lanka)
Martha Rosler (USA)
Hans Schabus (Austria)
Pradeep Thalawatta ( Sri Lanka)
Chandraguptha Thenuwara (Sri Lanka)
Jagath Weerasinghe (Sri Lanka) 

Together with the first insert on Wednesday 1 February an editorial article on the series will be published in the Daily Mirror.

More information can be found here: http://colomboartbiennale.com/?p=1600.

PRESS

Biennial Foundation:
http://www.biennialfoundation.org/biennials/colombo-art-biennale-sri-lanka/

NZZ Online:
http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/kultur/aktuell/kuehne_kritik_1.15205857.html

Three Blind Men Photography:
http://threeblindmen.photoshelter.com/gallery/The-Jaffna-Home-Colombo-Art-Biennale-2012/G0000W_im2fhVhDQ/

Sri Lanka Travel News:
http://srilankatravelnews.ning.com/events/colombo-art-biennale

Transcurrents:
http://transcurrents.com/news-views/archives/8494#more-8494

Modemonline:
http://www.modemonline.com/art/tradeshows/363-colombo-art-biennale-2012

Asian Art Archive:
http://www.aaa.org.hk/event_detail.aspx?event_id=19363

Serendib Magazine:
http://www.serendib.btoptions.lk/article.php?issue=26&id=666

Sunday Times:
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120129/Plus/plus_08.html
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15322:cooking-up-an-arty-storm-at-colombo-biennale-&catid=37:events&Itemid=555
http://sundaytimes.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15510:meeting-new-artistes-cab&catid=73:music&Itemid=512
http://sundaytimes.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15914:transition-the-colombo-art-biennale-opens-for-exhibition&catid=39:interviewsstories&Itemid=557
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16087:change-through-the-eye-of-12-women&catid=39:interviewsstories&Itemid=557
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120219/Plus/plus_08.html
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120212/Plus/plus_02.html

NRK (Norwegian news site):
http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/sorlandet/1.8000866

Hotshoe Blog:
http://hotshoeblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/hotshoe-blog-supports-second-colombo-art-biennale-2012/
http://hotshoeblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/photo-news-colombo-art-biennial-and-the-roaming-eye-arrives-in-sri-lanka/

Arts Hub:
http://www.artshub.com.au/au/news-article/news/arts/colombo-art-biennale-set-for-a-big-year-187379

FT Online:
http://www.ft.lk/2012/01/31/following-is-the-list-of-sri-lankan-artists-who-will-be-participating-in-the-colombo-art-biennale-2012/
http://www.ft.lk/2012/02/03/erik-pirolt-at-colombo-art-biennale-2012/
http://www.ft.lk/2012/01/31/becoming-colombo-art-biennale-in-february/

Ceylon Tea Trails:
http://teatrails.com/news/news-events/in-2-days-colombo-will-experience-the-launch-of-the-colombo-art-biennale-2012/

Mr. and Mrs. Smith Blog:
http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2012/01/sri-lanka-boutique-hotels-colombo-art-biennale-curators-of-cool/

Dominic Sansoni Blogspot:
http://dominicsansoni.blogspot.com/2012/02/jaffna-home-exhibition-at-colombo-art.html

Lankians.lk:
http://www.lankians.lk/full_story.php?news_id=327

OCA Newsletter:
http://oca.no/newsletter/january-2012-6188

COFA Blog:
http://blog.cofa.unsw.edu.au/?p=7538

Event.lk:
http://www.event.lk/event/view/p/2/id/625

Sunday Times:
http://sundaytimes.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15510:meeting-new-artistes-cab&catid=73:music&Itemid=512

The Buckwoman Blog:
http://thebuckwoman.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/becoming-colombo-art-biennale-2012/

Daily Mirror Online:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/video/16727-becoming-2012.html

Contisimone Blog:
http://www.contisimone.com/2012/02/11/colombo-art-biennale-2012-sche/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=colombo-art-biennale-2012-sche

Austrian Foreign Ministry:
http://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/culture/new-delhi/activities/calendar-of-events/2012/austrian-artists-at-colombo-art-biennale-becoming-sri-lanka.html

A Life of Saturdays Blog:
http://alifeofsaturdays.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/voyeur/

DM Life Online:
http://life.dailymirror.lk/other/life-updates/34-highlights/630-colombo-art-biennale-opening-party.html
http://116.12.93.1/video/16727-becoming-2012.html
http://www.dailymirror.lk/video/16727-becoming-2012.html
http://life.dailymirror.lk/other/life-updates/34-highlights/631-day-1-colombo-art-biennale-2012-.html

Daily FT:
http://www.ft.lk/2012/02/18/battle-for-social-justice-through-photography/
http://www.ft.lk/2012/02/22/embracing-art/

Art Media Agency:
http://www.artmediaagency.com/en/35116/second-edition-of-colombo-art-biennale-in-sri-lanka/

Goethe Institut:
http://www.goethe.de/ins/lk/col/en8690124v.htm

Ignitink:
http://www.ignitink.com/blog/colombo-art-biennale-from-imagining-peace-to-becoming/

Sunday Leader:
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/10/02/saarc-meeting-point/
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/02/19/the-colombo-art-biennale/
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/02/19/local-art-for-10000/
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/10/09/colombo-art-biennale-2012-on-the-way/

Thoughts of PAP:
http://www.thoughtsofpaps.com/2012/02/colombo-art-biennale.html

Indi.ca Blog:
http://blogs.geegain.com/post/30393/colombo-art-biennale-a-personal-recap
http://blogs.geegain.com/post/30033/colombo-art-biennale-photos-cab2012
http://indi.ca/2012/02/colombo-art-biannale-starts-today-programme/

DushiYanthini Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/passionparade/6914317029/

Saatchi & Saatchi Blog:
http://lovemarksfactory.tumblr.com/post/17770022897/colombo-art-biennale-2012

Dawn.com:
http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/20/the-second-colombo-biennale.html

CAB 2012:
http://colomboartbiennale.com/category/press/local/
http://colomboartbiennale.com/category/press/international/

12th February 2012
With just a couple of days to go the Sri Lankan Sunday Times has a great editorial about CAB
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120212/Plus/plus_02.html

9th December 2011
Article in the Daily FT about Colombo Art Biennale's proud sponsor Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered sponsors Colombo Art Biennale

P R E S S  R E L E A S E    P R E S S  R E L E A S E  P R E S S  R E L E A S E

“Becoming”

Colombo Art Biennale 15^th – 19^th February 2012

The Colombo Art Biennale’s second edition ‘Becoming’ follows on from the hugely successful 2009 Biennale ‘Imagining Peace’. CAB is the largest art manifestation in Sri Lanka and was created to build a platform upon which talented Sri Lankan artists would gain recognition both nationally and internationally. ‘Becoming’ will host over 25 Sri Lankan artists and about 15 international artists from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Australia and the US.

This February, CAB invites the nation to become part of the transformation of Colombo as the Biennale takes over Park Street Mews, JDA Perera Gallery and National Art Gallery to showcase a stunning variety of contemporary art. Inaddition CAB will host an array of fringe events around Colombo to include exhibitions, performances, workshops, video lounge, artist talks, artist dinners and the Colombo Art Biennale closing party.

The concept of ‘Becoming’ was chosen to highlight the potential for positive development in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war.  The theme not only accommodates the potential for artistic development but also the cultural and social changes within the country. For this reason, the theme will ensure a plethora of dynamic artistic interpretations encompassing all possible personal interpretations of the opportunity to ‘become’, thus making the Biennale the most dynamic exhibition held in Sri Lanka yet.

The CAB team would like to extend their gratitude to the Norwegian Embassy of Sri Lanka for funding the Sri Lankan artists, as well as the Mimeta Centre for Cultural Development, the Goethe Institute of Colombo and Austrian Cultural Forum New Delhi.  CAB would also like to thank their main sponsor, Standard Chartered Bank without whom, this event would not be possible.

Annoushka Hempel and Jagath Weerasinghe, the Colombo Art Biennale Co-Founders, were delighted with the success of ‘Imagining Peace’ in 2009 and as the excitement builds for ‘Becoming’ this coming February, Colombo can look forward to an even more vibrant display of contemporary art.

Curating the upcoming Biennale, are two international curators Suresh Jayaram (Founder and Director of 1 Shanthi Road, Bangalore) and Roman Berka (Director of Museum in Progress, Vienna). This year the Colombo Art Biennale is delighted to announce a new Co-Director, Neil Butler, whose energetic approach and passion for culture will be perfectly matched to direct alongside CAB’s dynamic Director, Annoushka Hempel. Neil shares his time between Sri Lanka and Europe, where he has enjoyed 18 years of directing countless large cultural events. His experience, profound knowledge of the arts and infectious charisma makes Neil a welcomeaddition to the CAB team.