Culture

Culture

The Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka encourages cultural collaboration across Sri Lanka, Germany and the South Asian region by organising programmes of events and making contributions to various festivals and exhibitions in the fields of film, dance, music, theatre, literature and translation. We aim to paint a contemporary portrait of Germany, while promoting international discourse on the key concerns of what is becoming an increasingly global society.

Focus

OPEN CALL
Elemental Imprints: Bio Design Lab South Asia

Sri Lanka Lab - Seaweed: Fronds for Thought
18–29 May 2026 | Valaippadu, Kilinochchi | Based in Jaffna

An immersive research residency exploring seaweed as a sustainable, living material for design. The lab brings together designers, scientists, and interdisciplinary practitioners to experiment with seaweed through growing, shaping, and material exploration.

Focusing on biodesign and ecological thinking, the project investigates how seaweed can support regenerative, low-impact production systems and offer alternatives to resource-intensive materials. Through collaboration with local communities and ecosystems, participants will develop innovative, context-driven approaches that rethink the relationship between nature, design, and technology.

Student Exchange Kalpitiya / Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

Between October 27 and November 07 2025, students from Berlin and Kalpitiya will come together in Sri Lanka to exchange ideas on pressing topics such as ocean protection, waste reduction and recycling to develop joint strategies für a sustainable future.

Monthly Podcast
The Popcast: Latest music from Germany

Rock, pop, hiphop, electro: at the beginning of every month we shine our search beacon into the Germany's studios and clubs from up North to the South.

A transdisciplinary project
Travelling Plants

Travelling Plants is a transdisciplinary project curated by Lina Vincent and conceived by the Goethe-Institut Chennai, in collaboration with the Alliance Française of Madras and the Institut Français de Pondichéry (IFP). In Colombo the project will be presented in collaboration with Alliance Française de Colombo.

EUNIC Project
The Routes we Take

This project aims to collect and map out local creatives, organisations and businesses whose practices center around circularity and symbiotic relationships with people and the planet.

Techno Worlds

As a global phenomenon, techno has not only shaped music history, but has also set impulses that have impacted contemporary culture, art, pop culture, media consumption and technologies.

The Goethe-Institut's exhibition TECHNO WORLDS approaches this multi-layered phenomenon through the works of international artists. The exhibition will be on display at Rio Hotel & Cinema Complex in Colombo from 13 - 28 September 2024. The Colombo display of TECHNO WORLDS will feature an additional section on the history of Pettah Interchange (2012 -2016) in Sri Lanka.

Arts and Exhibitions

Way of the Forest
Colomboscope 2024

The eighth edition of Colomboscope was held from 19 to 28 January 2024, bringing together interdisciplinary artistic approaches from around the island, South Asia and beyond in characteristic venues of Colombo.

In Search of a Common Ground
Critical Zones

For a long time the reactions of Earth to our human actions remained unnoticed, but in recent times with the protest movement Fridays for Future climate crisis has moved into public consciousness. The thought exhibition »CRITICAL ZONES« invites us to deal with the CRITICAL situation of the Earth in various ways and to explore new modes of coexistence between all forms of life.

Film, Media and Digital Culture

Person sitting behind a television with static noise; arms loosely draped over the screen.

Goethe on Demand
Watch films online

The Goethe-Institut presents a carefully curated collection of German films, available to stream for free. Discover award-winning festival hits, exciting new voices in German cinema and legendary film classics – and find your own personal favourites. Sit back, make yourself comfortable and… action!

Film Production
Watch Agenda 14

Agenda 14 produces films since 2014 with a focus on female participation in digital storytelling, short film production and screenings.

Music

Music from the fringes of Sri Lanka
Thattu Pattu

Like knocking stones together to spark a flame, “Thattu Pattu” derives its meaning from two loan words between Sinhala and Tamil — the languages predominantly spoken in Sri Lanka. Thattu Pattu intends to spark a renewed interest in music from the fringes of Sri Lanka.

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Culture

Culture

Focus

OPEN CALL
Elemental Imprints: Bio Design Lab South Asia

Student Exchange Kalpitiya / Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

Monthly Podcast
The Popcast: Latest music from Germany