Business
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka opens ‘The Foreigners’
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka) opened its new exhibition titled ‘The Foreigners’ on 4 May 2023, at its premises on the ground floor of Crescat Boulevard, Colombo 3. Curated by Sandev Handy and Sharmini Pereira, ‘The Foreigners’ brings together the works of 15 contemporary artists who use varying media to address the entangled ways in which foreignness is inscribed onto them, marking them as strangers, outsiders, or transgressors. Together their works resist, reimagine, and re-mix well-worn tropes of how otherness is categorised and foreignness is perceived. These works include photographs, performances, video artworks, installations, drawings, and paintings.
The exhibition has been specially designed by Jonathan Edward and the exhibition identity has been created by Emile Molin. Speaking about the exhibition, lead curator of the exhibition Sandev Handy noted that, “The Foreigners considers how contemporary artists grapple with often contradictory ideas of home, borders, and belonging. We imagine this exhibition as a complicated cacophony of both local and diasporic voices coming together to testify to their experiences of place and displacement, inviting visitors to listen, tune in and parse through them.” He further added that “My hope is that this exhibition is a starting point; a stake in the ground from which we may begin to recognise the experiences of the foreigner, the outsider, and the stranger, as crucial artistic voices towards helping us critically examine how borders often imposed upon us by dominant cultural narratives may be questioned and even dismantled.”
‘The Foreigners’ features 15 contemporary artists who include Arjuna Gunaratne (b. 1976), Danushka Marasinghe (b. 1985), Dinelka Liyanage (b. 1994), Hema Shironi (b. 1991), Hania Luthufi (b. 1989), Imaad Majeed (b. 1991), Isuru Kumarasinghe (b. 1987), Janani Cooray (b. 1974), K K Srinath Chathuranga (b. 1987), Nina Mangalanayagam (b. 1980), Reginald S. Aloysius (b. 1970), S.H. Sarath (b. 1947), Shyama Golden (b. 1983), Stephen Champion (b. 1959), and Sumudi Suraweera (b. 1982). Two of the artworks titled ‘வாசல்/ එළිපත්ත/ Threshold’ (Part 1) and ‘வாசல்/ එළිපත්ත/ Threshold’ (Part 2) by Dinelka Liyanage (b. 1994), Hania Luthufi (b. 1989) and Sumudi Suraweera (b. 1982) of Music Matters, were commissioned by the MMCA Sri Lanka in 2021 with the support of the European Union. Lenders to the exhibition are based in India, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the UK, and the USA.
Speaking about the exhibition, Sharmini Pereira, Chief Curator at the MMCA Sri Lanka said, “‘The Foreigners’ will give the museum’s visitors an insight into the works of contemporary artists living and working in Sri Lanka, the United States, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. One of the most important aspects of our work is to support and showcase the work of living artists; an opportunity not afforded to the generation of modern artists”, adding that “We look forward to welcoming visitors to an exhibition that we believe touches on many contemporary issues about who we are and where we are from.” Pereira further stated that “This is also our first exhibition to receive support from a group of individuals who reside outside of Sri Lanka and who wish to bring international attention to the country’s many contemporary artists. Through their example, we hope that other individuals will do similar and support research and curation around contemporary art.”
The MMCA Sri Lanka will also offer its visitors a host of free public programmes alongside ‘The Foreigners’. These programmes include Gallery Talks with artists and academics, Workshops conducted by art practitioners and professionals, guided Curator’s and Exhibition Tours, a Poetry club, performances, and other special events. All public programmes are made possible with the generous support of the European Union, whilst ‘The Foreigners’ exhibition is kindly supported by Anojie Amerasinghe, Hugues Marchand, Radhika Chopra, and Rajan Anandan, with additional support from the MMCA Sri Lanka’s Founding Patrons, the British Council, and Lite87. Generous support is also provided by the museum’s major benefactors and funders: John Keells Foundation, Nations Trust Bank, and Fairfirst Insurance.
The MMCA Sri Lanka is an education-led initiative that aims to establish a public museum dedicated to the display, research, collection, and conservation of modern and contemporary art for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public, schools, and tourists. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm (except on Poya days and public holidays) on the ground floor of Crescat Boulevard, Colombo 3, and the entrance to the museum and all its public programmes are free. Information about the museum and its exhibitions and public programmes can be found via its website www.mmca-srilanka.org, or on Facebook at facebook.com/mmcasrilanka and Instagram at instagram.com/mmcasrilanka/.
Analysts see budget-conscious international buying amid global economic pressures
This week’s Sri Lanka tea auction recorded the highest volume since February, with total offerings reaching 6.45 million kilograms (M/Kgs). However, the market displayed a mixed performance, with high-quality Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) varieties facing price declines while lower-end teas saw appreciation.
Select Western BOP/BOPF teas, typically among the most sought-after, dropped by over Rs. 100 per kg, while others in the category saw smaller declines. Nuwara Eliya BOPs, known for their delicate flavor were mostly unsold, and when sold, fetched up to Rs. 200 per kg less than previous levels. Uva BOPs also declined by up to Rs. 50 per kg, reflecting weaker demand for premium liquoring teas.
In contrast, teas at the lower end of the market fared better. Below Best BOPs remained steady, while BOPFs in the same category fell by Rs. 50 per kg or more, influenced by inconsistent quality. Meanwhile, Low Grown PF1s (CTC grade) saw a firmer trend, with some appreciation in value.
The Leafy and Semi-Leafy sector saw Select Best BOP1s maintain stable prices, while OP1s (Orange Pekoe) were irregular—well-made varieties eased, but others appreciated. In the Tippy segment, high-priced FBOPs dipped, but Best and Below Best grades held firm, with the lowest-end teas gaining value.
Despite price corrections, all categories met fair demand, with Low Growns dominating at 2.6 M/Kgs. The Premium catalogue showed selective firmness for very tippy teas, while others eased or declined.
Analysts suggest that the dip in high-quality teas may reflect subdued demand from key export markets, while the resilience of lower-grade teas indicates steady domestic and budget-conscious international buying.
“With global economic pressures persisting, auction trends may continue fluctuating in the coming weeks,” they said.
– Reported using data from Forbes & Walker Tea Brokers
By Sanath Nanayakkare
The publication on the Financial Statements and Operations of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka 2024, a requirement under Section 99(2) of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act, No 16 of 2023, was presented to the President and the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, by Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, 29 April.
Dr. N S Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, Ms. Lasanthi Sirimanne, Chief Accountant and Ms. Samudra Jayasundera, Director Policy Review and Monitoring Department of the Central Bank were also present at this occasion.
The Financial Statements and Operations of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka 2024 present an overview of the Central Bank’s institutional performance during the year 2024. The publication is structured into three main components: Operational Insights, Financial Statements, and Supplementary Information.
The Operational Insights section outlines the Central Bank’s strategy and its core responsibilities, including maintaining domestic price stability, ensuring financial system stability, overseeing payment and settlement systems, managing currency issuance, and strategic communication. This section also covers the Bank’s international engagements, the execution of other entrusted responsibilities including agency functions, and internal management arrangements.
The Financial Statements section presents the IFRS-compliant financial statements of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka for the year ended 31 December 2024, along with the independent report of the Auditor General. This segment also includes a financial review, providing an analysis of the Bank’s financial performance during the year.
The Supplementary Information section provides details on the Bank’s regional presence, the list of institutions regulated and supervised by the Central Bank, and a summary of corporate information.
The interactive PDF of this publication can be accessed through; https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/publications/economic-and-financial-reports/financial-statements-operations
Business
Emirates deepens strategic partnership with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau to support local travel industry
At the Arabian Travel Market 2025, Emirates and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) have renewed their partnership aimed at further developing the country’s tourism and trade industries. The partnership was sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parties.
The MoU was signed by Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean and Sampath Nissanka, Managing Director – Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. The signing ceremony was also attended by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer; Alexi Gunasekera, Consul General-designate of Sri Lanka to Dubai and the Northern Emirates in addition to other representatives of the airline and tourism board.
First inked in 2022, the renewed MoU will strengthen the collaboration between Emirates and SLTPB, with both the airline and tourism body reiterating their commitment to actively promote Sri Lanka as a destination to key markets within Emirates’ network.
Through joint initiatives, such as developing excursions and familiarization trips to promote the island nation to key feeder markets, Emirates and SLTPB aim to grow the tourism industry of the popular Indian Ocean destination by showcasing the destination to customers across the airline’s global network.
The joint efforts to boost the nation’s tourist industry have supported a steady increase in inbound traffic into the island, which recorded just over 2 million visitors in 2024. Between April 2024 and March 2025, Emirates carried over 240,000 passengers into Sri Lanka from key markets around its network including Russia, the UK, Germany, Australia, China, and the US, among others.
-
Business4 days agoPick My Pet wins Best Pet Boarding and Grooming Facilitator award
-
News4 days agoNew Lankan HC to Australia assumes duties
-
News4 days agoLankan ‘snow-white’ monkeys become a magnet for tourists
-
News2 days agoJapan-funded anti-corruption project launched again
-
Features4 days agoKing Donald and the executive presidency
-
Business4 days agoACHE Honoured as best institute for American-standard education
-
Features6 days agoThe Truth will set us free – I
-
Business2 days agoNational Savings Bank appoints Ajith Akmeemana,Chief Financial Officer