KALĀ 2026 Presents Shared Ground: South Asia in Conversation.

KALĀ 2026 concluded its opening weekend with a dynamic two-day programme celebrating the depth and diversity of South Asian contemporary art. Bringing together artists, curators, scholars and cultural practitioners from across the region, the event reaffirmed Colombo’s growing role as a vital hub for creative exchange.

Presented in collaboration with India’s Take On Art Magazine, the programme featured a rich line-up of workshops, exhibitions, performances, walk-throughs and discussions. Participants from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives gathered to reflect on shared histories and evolving identities.

At the heart of the weekend was Shared Ground: South Asia in Conversation, a major exhibition that approached South Asia, not as fixed or monolithic identity, but as a lived, fluid and continually expanding space. The exhibtion brought together established and mid-career artists with internationally recognised practices, exploring themes spanning socio-political realities, post-colonial legacies, ecological urgencies and material experimentation.

Running until 15th February 2026, Shared Ground continues to invite audiences to engage with the complexities and commonalities that shape the region today.