Prasad Hettiarachchi's They Come from North Tour Across Italy
Prasad Hettiarachchi, a Sri Lankan artist hailing from Rajagiriya in Colombo, is participating in the exhibition series 'They Come from North' throughout Italy, including cities like Milan and Rome. This series highlights his artwork from 2019 and features locations such as Frigoriferi Milanesi, Mudec Museo delle Culture, and Fondazione Pianoterra, which will open on June 18, 2028. Hettiarachchi's pieces critique the colonial legacy in Sri Lanka, particularly addressing urban gentrification in Slave Island, with notable works like the 'Slave Island' and 'The Architect' series. Additionally, he serves as a set designer for Suranga Katugampala's film 'Still Here,' which examines urban regeneration and the Silk Road's influence on Sri Lanka. The initiative is backed by various organizations and includes a publication named 'Crazy Fish Sing.'
Key facts
- Prasad Hettiarachchi's exhibition series 'They Come from North' tours Italy from Milan to Rome.
- The series includes stops at Frigoriferi Milanesi, Mudec, Chiaravalle, Fondazione Pianoterra (Rome, June 18, 2028), and Carme (Brescia, June 27).
- Hettiarachchi studied Mural Painting and Archaeology at the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya.
- His father was a wood artisan specializing in ritual lanterns.
- His work critiques Chinese and Indian neo-colonial influence in Sri Lanka.
- The 'Slave Island' series focuses on gentrification in Colombo's Slave Island area.
- The 'The Architect' series depicts architects as gods of urban development.
- Hettiarachchi is set designer for Suranga Katugampala's film 'Still Here'.
- The film 'Still Here' is a semi-noir set between Milan's Corvetto and Colombo's Rajagiriya.
- The project is supported by the Italian Council (12th edition) of the Ministry of Culture.
Entities
Artists
- Prasad Hettiarachchi
- Suranga Katugampala
- Alessandra Orlando
- Simona Cella
Institutions
- Kaiya Collective
- Fondazione Pianoterra
- Frigoriferi Milanesi
- Mudec Museo delle Culture
- Carme
- Terzo Paesaggio
- 5e6film
- Stony Brook University
- Yogurt Editions
- Direzione Generale Creatività Contemporanea del Ministero della Cultura
- Italian Council
- Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya
- Theertha Artists’ Collective
- Artribune
Locations
- Colombo
- Sri Lanka
- Negombo
- Verona
- Italy
- Brescia
- Rome
- Milan
- Chiaravalle
- Rajagiriya
- Slave Island
- Beira Lake
- Corvetto
- Port City
- China
- India