ONsite: Sri Lanka

For ONsite Sri Lanka, developed in response to the Develop pillar, independent fashion designer Shasha Mahanama travelled to the ancient site of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, where reed and rush plants are embedded in everyday material culture. The region is known for traditional weaving practices sustained through local supply chains and intergenerational knowledge.

Over three months, Shasha collaborated with the Fibershed Sri Lanka artisan community to learn heritage techniques and translate them into contemporary garment design. The process was enriched
by Prof. Raj Somadeva, whose expertise in archaeology and anthropology informed the project’s engagement with local histories and material practices. The outcomes were presented in Colombo and are included in the exhibition.

ONsite
ONsite builds on the international collaborations initiated in the previous Biennale, expanding them into three new research-based trajectories that examine specific sites within the global fashion supply chain.

Co-developed with local interlocutors, each ONsite acts as a situated research site for a designated resident, who studies the field from both within and outside. Together, they connect regional practices with critical inquiry while tracing how fashion’s systems operate, adapt, and transform worldwide.

A representation of the ONsite Sri Lanka is on display in the Eusebiuskerk during the run of the Biennale in Arnhem.