• An exhibition reimagining feminism through a powerful, inclusive South Asian lens

This weekend and through next week, Colombo will play host to a groundbreaking exhibition that brings together bold artistic voices, challenging conversations, and radical inclusivity. 

Titled ‘Empowerment: Art and Feminisms,’ the exhibition is a travelling showcase presented by the Goethe-Institut, featuring 31 feminist artists’ positions from across the globe. The South Asian leg of the exhibition is framed through a South Asian lens. It will be on display at the JDA Perera Gallery from tomorrow (4) until next Monday (11).

Curated by Andreas Beitin, Katharina Koch, and Uta Ruhkamp of Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, with Amruta Nemivant of Goethe-Institut Mumbai, the original ‘Empowerment’ exhibition opened in Germany in 2022. 

Its South Asian iteration – currently on a regional tour through India and Sri Lanka – is more than just a scaled-down version. It’s a reimagined space for feminist dialogue, contextualised through local experiences, and expanded into a multi-sensory programme of performances, talks, and guided walkthroughs.

A feminist framework

The exhibition is built around seven thematic chapters: ‘Herstories and Other Narratives,’ ‘Desired and Violated Bodies,’ ‘Feminist Futures,’ ‘Gender and Identity,’ ‘Labour of Care,’ ‘Planetary Challenges,’ and ‘Resistance and Protest.’ These chapters serve as portals into the complexities of feminism – its histories, its urgent present, and its speculative futures.

The 33 works on display span video, photography, installation, painting, VR, and interactive formats. While only one-third of the original exhibition from 2022 is making it to Colombo, the curators have ensured that each chapter is fully represented. 

Importantly, this isn’t a Eurocentric show. “Even in Wolfsburg, the majority of artists were from the Global South,” noted Nimi Ravindran of the Sandbox Collective, who is playing a mediator role in balancing the curation of the travelling exhibition. “The work was never tokenistic; it features both globally recognised names and regionally significant artists with powerful, uncompromised voices.”

Artists featured include Zanele Muholi, Tracey Rose, Kawita Vatanajyankur, and Mithu Sen, among others. There are stories that cut across Latin America, Asia, and Africa, each raising deeply personal and politically urgent questions.

From viewing to experiencing

Where the Colombo edition of ‘Empowerment’ takes a meaningful turn is through its extended public programming, curated by the Bangalore-based Sandbox Collective. Founded in 2013 by Co-Founders Nimi Ravindran and Shiva Pathak, Sandbox is a feminist arts collective known for its work around gender, identity, and inclusivity in the arts.

“We were invited to be artistic mediators for the South Asian leg of the exhibition. The idea was to bring it alive for audiences here through conversation, community, and performance,” Shiva explained. She added that the Sandbox Collective had been part of the original 2022 exhibition as well, and that the travelling exhibition had already showcased at multiple cities in India before now making its way to Sri Lanka. 

The approach of the travelling exhibition goes beyond transplanting the European exhibition into South Asia. “We have worked closely with the Goethe-Institut and local artists in each city to make sure the programming resonates with the local context,” Nimi shared. “Some ideas had to be rethought, others reshaped – but always with the goal of making the space relevant, inviting, and radically inclusive.”

Building space and safety

One of the core themes Sandbox explores through its work is space: who gets to occupy it, who is excluded, and what it means to reclaim it, especially within art communities and circles.  

Empowerment will also tackle the varied intersectionality of the feminine experience. This is especially important in cities like Colombo, where gendered violence, class divides, and social invisibility often determine who feels welcome – and who does not.

As artistic mediators, Sandbox Collective has designed a rich programme of talks and performances in collaboration with local artists and initiatives across Colombo. 

These open sessions aim to activate conversations around each thematic chapter of the exhibition while centring voices from Sri Lankan art communities. Highlighting the intent to activate the exhibition beyond the gallery walls, this series includes panel discussions, art interventions, and multisensory experiences embedded within the exhibition space.

Featuring local musicians, dancers, and performers, these events transform the exhibition into a lived feminist experience, inviting visitors to engage physically, emotionally, and intellectually with the artwork and its themes.

“There’s going to be a women and queer-only night walk,” Nimi shared of one highlight she was looking forward to when it came to the exhibition’s stint in Sri Lanka. Conceived as a form of embodied protest and reclaiming urban space, this event poses a bold question: can a group in solidarity make a space considered unsafe, safe? 

“We are exploring what it means for a group of women to walk together through the city at midnight. Can solidarity guarantee safety? Maybe it’s empowering. Maybe it’s not. But it’s a risk worth taking.”

Alongside walks, performances, and panels, the programme includes workshops – like using henna as a medium of resistance – and quiet moments for reflection. There is a deliberate attempt to move beyond art as spectacle, and into art as provocation, conversation, and community.

The exhibition also includes guided tours led by students from the University of the Visual and Performing Arts. These walkthroughs aim to spark intergenerational dialogue on what it means to be a woman or queer person in the arts today – and how those realities differ (or align) across cities both within South Asia and globally. 

“The issues may feel different,” said Nimi, “but the questions are often the same.”

The exhibition opens to the public tomorrow (4) at the JDA Perera Gallery with a guided press walk at 3.45 p.m., followed by welcome speeches and an official opening from 5 p.m. onwards. Entry is free and open to all.

“We are trying to create spaces for reflection and joy – spaces that aren’t intimidating,” Nimi explained. “You don’t need a background in art, theory, or activism. This is an exhibition for everyone.”

An invitation to question

At its heart, ‘Empowerment’ invites people to question the world around them. “A lot of people aren’t sure what they’re walking into,” Shiva said. “But the exhibition gives everyone an entry point into feminism. It doesn’t matter what your gender is – it will make you feel something. And that feeling often lingers long after you leave.”

It’s also an invitation to challenge exclusion. In a world where the arts are increasingly shaped by corporate funding and cultural gatekeeping, Sandbox Collective’s ethos is about creating spaces where everyone is welcome, especially those who have been systematically pushed out.

“One of the reasons we run a free feminist library in Bangalore,” Nimi noted, “is because we believe that if art, books, and knowledge were more accessible, we would all be better off. Even small neighbourhood spaces can hold radical possibility.”

Above all, Nimi and Shiva urged people not to wait. “The exhibition is only here for a short time,” Nimi said. “Don’t put it off until the last day. It’s brave, beautiful, and exciting – and if nothing connects with you, we’ll be right there. You can hold us accountable.”

‘Empowerment’ isn’t just an exhibition; it’s a living, breathing moment of possibility – a space to listen, learn, question, and connect.

‘Empowerment: Art and Feminisms’ runs from 4-11 August at the JDA Perera Gallery and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with free entry 

For more details on the exhibition, its performances, guided walks, and other events, visit the Goethe-Institut website