Forum for Culture

Reading Landscape in Translation: Religion, Nature and the Spatial Politics of Sri Lankan Modernity

By ci ⋅ May 5, 2008 ⋅ ⋅ Post a comment

The second talk was delivered in April by Tariq Jazeel (Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Sheffield) and was titled ‘Reading Landscape in Translation: Religion, Nature and the Spatial Politics of Sri Lankan Modernity.’ This presentation, also in the English language, attempted to explore the methodological challenges involved in engaging the politics of Sri Lankan landscape and built-space.

tariq jazeel speaks on reading landscapes in translation

Building on Subaltern Studies scholarship, the presentation made the point that the concept-metaphors ‘religion’ and ‘nature’ are insufficient conceptual tools to effectively analyze modern spatial formations in southern Sri Lanka. Instead, the speaker argued that reading these spaces ‘in translation’ offers a method for teasing out particular kinds of Sinhala-Buddhist aesthetics that permeate apparently secular landscape arrangements in southern Sri Lanka. Empirically, the paper works through contemporary tropical-modern landscape architecture.

A lively discussion took place after the presentation around thoughts on stretching of readings, a possible irreligious spirituality of Bawa’s landscapes and imposed behavioral patterns, accidental placement of signs, empowering the anecdotal, and explanatory narratives/ yarns, among other ideas. Nira Wickramasisghe of the University of Colombo moderated the discussion.