March: Important events on the Tbilisi art scene, a brief overview

New Wave Tourist- Solo Show by Maia naveriani

On March 12, Maia Naverian's new exhibition "New Wave Tourist" has been opened in Gallery Artbeat. 
„The tourist - an image of a leisurely traveler, a curious adventurer and a wonderer always appealed to me and often occurred in many of my works. And now, locked up in isolation, with no possibility of travel, the term 'tourism' has become even more intriguing and inspired me to work with new texts. The sudden and dramatic change of normality, caused by the pandemic, and the insecurities brought by this shock have destabilised every system - psychological, cultural, social and political. But the fear of the unknown and this contemporary, fragile chaos have provoked the excitement of a possible new journey - the opportunity of new wave tourism. This interlude gives us the chance to revisit well-known sites, leaving old sentiments and history behind in anticipation of finding unpredictable twists and configurations of a new future that feels more transparent and ethereal”, - says Maia Naveriani.

Room for 8- Self-organized show by VA[A]DS students

On March 12, a self-organized exhibition of VA[A]DS students has opened at Fabrika. The group show includes works by eight artists, VA[A]DS students - Vato Bakradze, Teimuraz Eristavi, Aleksandre Beglarishvili, Anano Janashia, Mari Kalabegashvili, Tamusa Zarkua, Salome Gagua and Gvantsa Jgushia. Participants have been working in common space, VA[A]DS studios for years and recent developments have forced them to run the work process separately. The exhibition held in the space of the Fabrika Tbilisi is a kind of reunion for eight artists working together.

”Ole, Alone Stanting Tree” - exhibiton by Qeu Meparishvili

The Why Not Gallery hosts solo show “Ole, Alone Standing tree” by Qeu Meparishvili, which will be on view until March 31st. ‘The exhibition is a like an archive of fears, each of the works was born out of it. Much of my life is spent meditating on fear and working on defeating it. In old days, the Kharachogelis wore silver belts worth as much as their burial would – as if they wore the fear of death with them at all times’- writes Qeu in her statement. The exhibition title is taken from the poem ‘Ole’, 1931, by Giorgi Leonidze. A masterpiece of Georgian symbolist poetry, ‘roasted from within with the poison of loneliness’ the tree, Ole, a symbol of a strong-willed man weakened by solitude, is a kind of mantra for the artist, and as she herself sums it up, ‘the exhibition is a meditation on fear and living with it’.

“OF GODDESSES AND WOMEN”-EXHIBITION BY RUSUDAN KHIZANISHVILI AT WINDOW PROJECT

On March 18, Rusudan Khizanishvili's exhibition "Of Goddesses and Women" has been opened at the Window Project Gallery. The exhibition will last until May 3rd. 
Exhibition was designed by Lado Lomitashvili. 
“In the presented works created between 2018-2021, Rusudan Khizanishvili engages with the themes that run as threads in her artistic practice of the last fifteen years. Women in all their power are at the center, as are their fragmentized or altered bodies, disjointed embraces, mysterious shadowy figures, sphynxes, and floral forms. Although they are at the center, they remain anonymous, just as women tend to be in Georgia. Central figures on the stage are not named in Khizanishvili’s scenography. Yet, their identities could be assumed. Dali, Medea, Tinatin, Tamar, Nestan, Virgin Mary, Venus are all symbolically present in the faces, figures, gestures, compositions. Rather than engaging with the romanticized version of the past and habitual way of painting and perceiving women as quaint figures, Khizanishvili redefines this tradition by bringing new dynamics into contemporary Georgian art. Alongside small-sized portraits, the artist paints encapsulated spectacles, framed by the canvas and almost defying gravity.

Here, the traditional motherly archetype is clashing with a willful woman, who is powerful, and might be manipulative, yet is present. The women we see are actively involved in their spectacles, invested in the outcomes. As Dali, goddess of hunting and wilderness, Khizanishvili is able to transform humans into wild beasts and vice versa. Transformation alludes to the interconnectedness between humans and the Earth, transmutation between species. Ceramics created by Khizanishvili and presented for the first time at this exhibition, also underline the connection with the terrain through their medium. Clay objects are fragmentized and free- standing, three-dimensional representation of Khizanishvili’s visions. A symbolic crown is every woman’s crown, but also the crown of the King Tamar.”- excerpt from Nina Mdivani’s curatorial text.

“Mommy Loves You” – Installation by Lashao Gabunia at Chaos Concept Store

Chaos concept store presents Lashao Gabunia’s installation “Mommy loves you”, which expresses how important it is for a child to have the right to make choices at an early age. 
"Feelings and emotions acquired in early childhood and adolescence are the main preconditions for how we develop as a person. It is important for the child to be able to make choices when it comes to playing and dressing. "Parents can express their opinion, but if the child's interest does not match the gender norms and stereotypes set by society, we should not restrict their self-expression and we should not try to force them on it,"- said author Lashao Gabunia, whose installation will be available in Chaos until April 4.