From 23 July to 23 August 2025, the Saskia Fernando Gallery in Colombo presents Neo-Glitch, the latest annual memorial exhibition by celebrated Sri Lankan artist Chandraguptha Thenuwara. This year’s show revisits the critical themes first explored in Thenuwara’s 2016 Glitch series, using the concept of digital error as a metaphor for persistent and unresolved socio-political problems. Through a new body of work, Thenuwara reflects on the reality that, despite changes in leadership, many of the nation’s deep-rooted issues remain disturbingly constant.
The annual exhibition is held every year on July 23 to mark the anniversary of Black July, of 1983, one of the most violent and divisive episodes in Sri Lanka’s history. By anchoring his work to this date, Thenuwara draws an unbroken line between past injustices and present-day political failures. This year’s presentation challenges audiences to consider how, four decades later, many of the structural injustices, prejudices, and abuses of power that fuelled those events still endure.
