Reclaiming space through art

Firi Rahman, Vicky Shahjahan and Parilojithan Ramanathan, the founders of the We Are From Here project, head into a newly-constructed high-rise building allocated to the locals of Colombo's Slave Island, their footsteps echoing in the long empty corridors. The project, conceived to combat the stereotypical renditions of Slave Island and the oversimplification of lived-experiences of its community, aims to write the true stories and histories of their community through art and archiving. The elevator takes too long, so the three bound up the stairs to a terrace on the third floor, where a resident has set up a small shop that sells tea, baabath and pasthol.

A 'world-class' city

As the shop owner prepares tea, the three take in the view from the terrace. The view consists of the glass and concrete facades of several lifestyle and luxury properties, including multi-purpose spaces for malls, residences, and corporate office space. Next to these, there remains some bare land on Glennie Street, the rubble of colourful houses torn to the ground in 2010 now cleared away by heavy machinery. Many residents evicted from these houses in 2013 were allocated apartments in high-rise buildings, such as the one the three are visiting now. Others were relocated to Dematagoda, around six kilometres from Slave Island.