Events
Join us for a month of immersive art, workshops, discussions, screenings & performances. Experience how plants — and stories — travel across space, time, and culture.
- 6–26 June 2025
- 11 AM – 7 PM (Closed Mondays)
- Studio Kayamai, 302 Havelock Road, Colombo 5
Curated by Lina Vincent, this exhibition brings together four artists whose practices intersect deeply with the natural world, exploring the links between ecology, science, culture, and society through the lens of contemporary art.
Featuring works by:
Rashmimala (India) | Karolina Grzywnowicz (Germany) | Waylon D’Souza (India) | Wendy Therméa (Reunion Island, France)
Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Events
Koyaanisqatsi — Film screening presented as part of Travelling Plants
Join us for a rare screening of Godfrey Reggio’s 1982 cult documentary Koyaanisqatsi, featuring an iconic score by Philip Glass. A cinematic meditation on the imbalance between nature and modern life, this immersive, dialogue-free film combines slow motion, time-lapse, and arresting visuals to explore humanity’s impact on the planet.
- 6 June 2025
- 6:00 PM
- Goethe-Institut, 39 R.G. Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 7
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
“Cyan” — The Color of Departure
Cyanotype Workshops with Lojithan Ramanathan
As part of the Travelling Plants exhibition, artist Lojithan Ramanathan leads two immersive workshops exploring Cyanotype — one of photography’s oldest and most enchanting processes. Using only sunlight, water, and iron salts, participants will create striking Prussian blue prints that capture textures, silhouettes, and layered memories on paper and fabric.
Lojithan’s Cyanotype-based practice bridges photography, sculpture, and installation, exploring themes of migration, non-belonging, and nostalgia. These sessions offer a reflective space to slow down, experiment, and connect with the elemental beauty of light, shadow, and material.
- 10 & 14 June 2025
- 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Studio Kayamai, Havelock Road, Colombo 5
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Travelling Plants is presented by Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Lecture: Bangalore’s Lalbagh — A Chronicle of the Garden and the City
Explore the layered histories of Bangalore’s Lalbagh Botanical Garden — a site often described as a botanical cosmos for its vast collection of flora, deep colonial roots, and enduring place in the city’s cultural memory.
This talk by Suresh Jayaram — artist, art historian, curator, and founder of Visual Art Collective/1.Shanthiroad Studio, an international artists’ residency and alternative art space in Bangalore — brings to life his acclaimed book Bangalore’s Lalbagh: A Chronicle of the Garden and the City (2021). A montage of historical, anthropological, and personal narratives, the book reflects on Lalbagh not only as a garden but as a living archive of biodiversity, urban transformation, and cultural legacy.
- With Suresh Jayaram
- 12 June 2025
- 6:00 PM
- Goethe-Institut, 39 R.G. Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 7
Home to centuries-old trees, economically and ornamentally significant species, and rare flora, Lalbagh is both a scientific resource and a public sanctuary. Jayaram’s deep engagement with the site reveals its complex identity—as a colonial imprint, ecological hub, and beloved city space.
His previous work includes Whatever He Touched, He Adorned, a publication and exhibition on German horticulturist G.H. Krumbiegel. Through his practice, Jayaram builds connections between art, ecology, and urban history.
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Free entry | All are welcome
Ethnobotanical Stories and Exchanges Between Sri Lanka, India, and Indian Ocean Islands – Panel Discussion
Join us for an engaging panel exploring the movement of plants, people, and knowledge across the Indian Ocean — during the Chera, Pandya, Chola, Vijayanagara, and Sri Lankan dynasties, as well as through Arab trade routes and colonial encounters.
Featuring diverse perspectives across art, ecology, and history, the discussion will reflect on ethnobotanical narratives and the complex relationships between culture and the natural world.
- Suresh Jayaram — artist, art historian & arts administrator
- Soham Kacker — plant ecologist & Curator of Living Collections, Geoffrey Bawa & Lunuganga Trusts
- Waylon James D’Souza — transdisciplinary artist & designer
- Meghal Perera — multidisciplinary researcher
- Moderated by Sandev Handy — artist, curator & art educator
- 14 June 2025
- 5:00 PM
- Alliance Française de Colombo, 11 Barnes Place, Colombo 7
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Image Credits: The Herbarium of French Institute of Pondicherry
Ethnobotanical Stories and Exchanges Between Sri Lanka, India, and Indian Ocean Islands — A workshop
Join us for an interactive mapping and art-making workshop exploring ethnobotanical knowledge and cultural exchanges across the Indian Ocean region. Participants will engage in a collaborative mapping exercise using large sheets or whiteboards, followed by the creation of a symbolic ‘kolam’ using seeds, objects, and flower art inspired by Sri Lankan traditions — a reimagining of the third part of the Travelling Plants exhibit, which could not be brought into the country.
- Waylon James D’Souza
- 15 June 2025
- 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Studio Kayamai, Havelock Road, Colombo 5
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Foragers — Film screening presented as part of Travelling Plants
Join us for a screening of Jumana Manna’s Foragers, a poignant and gently humorous exploration of wild herb foraging in Palestine/Israel. Blending documentary, fiction, and archival footage, the film follows the journey of za’atar and ’akkoub from the hills to the kitchen — and the legal trials faced by those who gather them under restrictive conservation laws.
- 17 June 2025
- 7:00 PM
- Alliance Française, 11 Barnes Place, Colombo 7
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Drawing from Nature: Still Life with Sri Lankan Flora — A workshop for kids (7+ years)
A fun and educational art workshop introducing children to the world of botanical art through Sri Lankan flora. Participants will learn about the history of botanical illustration in Sri Lanka, explore the basics of still life composition, and create their own artwork using native plants and fruit as references. Children will be guided in using pencils and paintbrushes to explore shading, texture, and visual storytelling.
- 19 June 2025
- 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
- Studio Kayamai, Havelock Road, Colombo 5
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Sensory Encounters of Leela Bhumi (Playful Earth) — A workshop with CoCA Art Studio
Step into an immersive sensory experience inspired by Leela Bhumi (Playful Earth) — a mobile, multifunctional space rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems, ecological memory, and cultural heritage. This workshop invites participants into a space of collective memory, healing, and reconnection through touch, scent, sound, and movement.
Guided by ancestral wisdom and ecological storytelling, participants will engage with natural materials and respond through playful, intuitive making. Here, the boundaries between artist and participant, memory and imagination, dissolve — co-creating moments of care, curiosity, and communion with the Earth.
- 24 June 2025
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Studio Kayamai, Havelock Road, Colombo 5
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Les Algues Vertes (Green Tide) — A film screening presented as part of Travelling Plants
When three men and forty animals are found dead on the beaches of Brittany, the culprit is no mystery: green algae. Based on a true ecological scandal, Les Algues Vertes follows journalist Inès Léraud as she unravels a complex web of silence, political pressure, and environmental neglect. Through encounters with whistleblowers, scientists, farmers, and politicians, the film reveals a gripping contemporary story about pollution, journalism, and the struggle to expose hidden truths.
- 25 June 2025
- 7:00 PM
- Alliance Française de Colombo, 11 Barnes Place, Colombo 7
Free admission
Les Algues Vertes (France, 2023) | Duration: 1h59 | Directed by: Inès Léraud | Cinematography: Olivier Boonjing | Music: Adrien Jolivet
Presented as part of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
Echoing Nature’s Resonance — A sound performance by Rachel Chanmugam
Join us for the closing event of Travelling Plants — a meditative sound journey led by sound alchemist and healer Rachel Chanmugam. Blending elemental and animal sounds through live looping and minimal melodic layering. The immersive performance will also include interactive elements such as audience-generated elemental sounds and deep listening to Plantwave.
- 26 June 2025
- 6:00 PM
- Studio Kayamai, Havelock Road, Colombo 5
Free registration: events@alliancefrancaise.lk
Presented in the framework of Travelling Plants — a transdisciplinary exhibition exploring ecology, culture, and the natural world. Born from a creative residency at the French Institute of Pondicherry in March 2024, Travelling Plants is presented by the Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Colombo, in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry and Studio Kayamai.
