There Was Something Here Before

There Was Something Here Before is an interactive exhibition by urbanist Zahira Asmal that explores the layered histories of Cape Town and its overlooked connections to Sri Lanka. Presented in Colombo in July 2025, the exhibition reframes the city as a palimpsest shaped by colonialism, migration, labour, and resistance. Through spatial storytelling, archival fragments, and tactile engagement, it invites audiences to look beyond postcard imagery and reconsider the structures of memory, power, and belonging that continue to shape both cities.

The exhibition examines how cities are framed, remembered, and experienced. Moving from monumental cityscapes to intimate archival fragments, the exhibition reveals the hidden narratives of dispossession, slavery, and spatial apartheid that underpin contemporary Cape Town. Presented in Colombo, it creates a dialogue between South Africa and Sri Lanka, tracing shared histories across the Indian Ocean.