OWN A PIECE OF NOSTALGIE !
A limited edition of photographs from 'Nostalgie 03' is available for purchase.
Cold matt laminated 16"x12" photograph = Rs. 3000/- each.
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The stark white walls of the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Colombo come alive with images of the Eiffel Tower as the Alliance Française de Kotte presents ‘Nostalgie 03 – The Eiffel Tower Unplugged’, an exhibition of black and white photographs by media personality Kumar de Silva. Open to the public from 10 am to 7 pm on Saturday 05 and Sunday 06 October 2013, this exhibition is co- sponsored by Langers (Books for Foreign Languages) and Maalu Maalu Resorts and Spas, with Lou Ching Wong as Event Partner and YES FM as Radio Partner.

This third annual exhibition contrasts with de Silva’s two previous exhibitions and focuses on a single theme - the Grand Old Lady of Paris. “The Eiffel Tower is nothing new. It has been standing there for the past 124 years and will continue to do so. On the contrary, watching daily life unfold around the Tower in the changing Parisian light is to me, as fascinating an experience as taking the stairs to the summit. If you have the patience, you can savour a slow-paced montage of both interesting and mundane images as they come to life in front of, on top of and underneath the grande dame. What I’ve done is that I have used the old lady as a prop to draw attention to the fore, mid and backgrounds in the thirty images on display. This, I find, gives a whole new and fresh dimension to Gustav Eiffel’s creation”, says de Silva. De Silva who describes himself as “an incurable francophone cum francophile” has had a long association with France, for more than a quarter of a century. He made his debut on the little screen with the legendary, French television programme “Bonsoir” on ITN in 1986 with which he rapidly became a household name.

“Kumar de Silva is really a great friend of France and a genuine lover of its language and culture which he knows perfectly and likes to share with others.

Moreover, he has a real fondness for icons and has now chosen to evoke, with a humoristic and artistic eye, the modern and most identifiable symbol of a country and its capital city. We can then only thank Kumar de Silva, as a recognised communicator and artiste in Sri Lanka, for giving us such an opportunity to celebrate and admire a masterpiece of human ingenuity”, says the Director of the Alliance Française de Kotte in Colombo, Alexandre Martinez.

The author of two best-selling books this year – “Irangani” (on the life and times of screen icon Irangani Serasinghe) and “The Bonsoir Diaries”, he is also currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Alliance Française de Kotte and a Founder Trustee of the ‘Lester James Peries and Sumitra Peries Foundation’. The Government of France last October conferred on Kumar de Silva, the title of ‘Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ (Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters). This Order recognises eminent artistes, writers, and scholars for their efforts in promoting the awareness and enrichment of France’s cultural heritage throughout the world.

Situated at 18, Coniston Place, Colombo 07, the Alliance Française de Kotte is France’s ONLY such official French language and cultural centre in the Colombo City. With increasing numbers of students every term, it has become the preferred choice of all Sri Lankans, both young and adults, who wish to learn the French language, with certification and diplomas fully recognised by France. The Alliance Française de Kotte is fully affiliated to the Fondation Alliance Française in Paris and enjoys the total patronage of the Government of France and the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka. ‘Nostalgie 03’ takes visitors through deliberate and random images of scenes around the Eiffel Tower and is open to the public from 10.00 am to 7.00 pm on both days.