PRESS KIT DOWNLOAD: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ipe-W8hVQy0vBt7KaVybpsU7h0np54aF?usp=sharing
SEVA is a transdisciplinary cultural diplomacy project by Italian visual artist Caterina Roppo, promoted by the European Union through the Cultural Relations Platform, and supported by the University of the Arts London, EDB in SL, British Council, and the Italian Embassy in Colombo.
The project explores the intersection of art, mental health, and post-traumatic resilience, focusing on marginalized artisanal communities affected by conflict or natural disaster. Through a methodology rooted in symbolic practice, social exchange, and cultural listening, SEVA seeks to activate transformative processes of collective healing.
The first research chapter took place in Sri Lanka during an artistic residency by Caterina Roppo at the studio of Sonali Dharmawardena, one of the country’s most acclaimed textile artists. This initial phase focused on the dialogue between artistic identity and traditional knowledge, combining contemporary visual research with the lived memory of trauma within local artisan communities.
On July 23, 2025, Caterina Roppo will present its first short documentary at the Terrae International Film Festival, offering an intimate glimpse into the residency, its collaborative processes, and the emotional landscapes explored. The documentary will be followed by a podcast series, a second phase of audiovisual production, and culminate in a solo exhibition by Caterina Roppo in Colombo, scheduled between 2025 and 2026.
“SEVA is not about telling other people’s stories,” Roppo states, “it’s about creating shared spaces where fragility is not hidden, but welcomed, as the seed of a new cultural and emotional agenda.”
Rejecting traditional hierarchies and paternalistic dynamics, SEVA establishes a horizontal, non-intrusive form of cultural engagement, in which art becomes a tool of diplomatic presence, mutual recognition, and regenerative imagination.
Video Credits
Directed by: Caterina Roppo
Produced by: Piero Molina
Videographer: Cactus Media
Edited by: Piero Molina
Sound Design by Ian Liedtke
Special Thanks to Robert Meeder
Promoted by Cultural Relation Platform of the European Union
In partnership with Ambasciata Italiana a Colombo, EDB SL, UAL, British Council