In conversation with: Lali Pertenava, Nini Palavandishvili, Vato Tsereteli, Khatuna Khabuliani
Lali Pertenava emphasizes the dynamic relationship between artistic movements and their cultural, economic, archaeological, ethnographic, and social contexts. She believes that epochs are shaped by artists who intertwine socio-political directions with philosophical frameworks, leading to significant cultural advancements. Pertenava argues that the relationship between an era and an artist is synthetic rather than separate. She highlights the transformation of creative processes in response to postmodernism and the decentralization of power from individual artists to institutions. This shift has made creativity more fluid and diverse, with institutions now playing a significant role in creating meaning and context.
Nini Palavandishvili discusses the interdependence of epochs and artists, asserting that artists draw inspiration from their times, which can either inspire or challenge them, ultimately shaping artistic currents. She notes the importance of multidisciplinary research in curatorial initiatives to bring diverse perspectives and interpretations. Palavandishvili believes that time constraints pose significant challenges in research projects and stresses the need for more comprehensive studies in exhibitions.
Keti Shavgulidze explores how different agents are integrated into the artistic field, emphasizing the roles of artists, recipients, and mediators in creating connections between artwork and society. She highlights the evolving role of curators in the contemporary art environment, where they often compete with artists in defining new realities. Shavgulidze criticizes the comfort that can stifle creativity and advocates for alternative artistic spaces that prioritize non-commercial discussions over material profit.
Vato Tsereteli focuses on the perception of contemporary artists as both individuals and citizens. He highlights the importance of integrating agricultural and permaculture practices into the artistic context to gain practical experience. Tsereteli discusses the impulsive nature of society and the need to calm impulsivity to promote self-awareness and collective consciousness. He emphasizes the potential of inclusiveness inherent in Georgian culture and the need to shift from exclusivity to a more inclusive identity.
Khatuna Khabuliani asserts that understanding the art of any period is crucial to comprehending its essence. She believes that art shapes important human messages and enables us to grasp the existential experiences of different eras. Khabuliani highlights the importance of studying both local and international artistic trends to understand contemporary processes. She views curating as a collaborative process that involves creative tension and is particularly drawn to artists with an obsessive passion for art. Khabuliani advocates for the establishment of alternative spaces for emerging artists and prioritizing educational programs to engage with audiences.
The article is a fragment of the research essey "Alexandre Bandzeladze, a prominent gure of the Georgian artistic scene." The full version of Samson Lezhava's study is printed in the book Alek- sandre (Shura) Bandzeladze, Tbilisi, 2017
A. Bandzeladze's abstractionist works have marked a pivotal stage in Georgian painting, establishing new benchmarks and techniques in the 20th century. Despite limited information about the artist, Bandzeladze's mastery of fundamental approaches organically linked his paintings to the contemporary context, particularly in the realm of abstractionism. Following in the footsteps of Davit Kakabadze, Bandzeladze played a crucial role in advancing this complex style, showcasing his remarkable ease and proficiency as early as the 1960s.
Bandzeladze's abstract paintings are characterized by a procedural nature, emphasizing the act of performance and a distinct sense of activism. His flowing and polyrhythmic strokes evoke a sensory experience that transcends mere visual pleasure. These works are bioenergetic and driven by a pursuit of supermateriality, demonstrating the artist's eloquence in the language of abstractionism.
Within Bandzeladze's oeuvre, there are pieces that exhibit an intense baroque-like quality, juxtaposed with works distinguished by their anonymity. An example of this is the smaller canvas "Abstraction" from 1968, which, despite its suppressed anonymous configuration, echoes the baroque style through its pictorial means. Additionally, some expressions of abstractionism in Bandzeladze's work carry a surreal flavor, exemplified by the somewhat eerie "The Majesty's Speech" from 1987.
In his more recent works, Bandzeladze incorporates inscriptions featuring the Latin script, Asomtavruli, and Mkhedruli, adding a layer of multidimensionality and post-modern playfulness. This integration of different scripts suggests an unconscious dialogue between Euro-Georgian cultures, highlighting the artist's innovative and culturally reflective approach.
Georgia's connection to Europe has its origins in the myth of Medea, a woman who has been consumed by every order due to their fears. Medea serves as a symbol of Georgia's intercultural relationship with Europe, but the Western civilization's love for order and law never allowed irrational impulses, embodied by Medea or Georgia, to become integrated. This has created a bipolar cultural eld between Georgia and Europe, where for Europe, a wild, closed Georgian woman like Medea embodies a subjective sense of freedom that is distant from the Western, uniform model of freedom…
5 female artists tried to explain and understand this issue in different mediums and decades. While some of the works naturally t into the exhibition concept, others were created specically for it. Leila Shelia, Keti Kapanadze, Maya Naveriani, Nino Zirakishvili, and Nutsa Esebua each offer a unique perspective of Medea's icon by reected it in their works. Despite the diversity of their approaches, the artists all depict the Medea archetype with consistent themes of feminine tragedy, fear, loneliness, sacrice, love, and agony. Medea has become an all-encompassing icon in Georgian culture, serving as a symbol for personal and public struggles across a range of elds, including culture and politics. This condition or syndrome is also a major area of research in the Georgian art scene, as questions arise about why it is challenging for the country to integrate with the West, whether or not this aspiration is conscious, and what the Western myth or identity is for Georgia.
For a curator, the role is intrinsic and deeply personal—either it exists within you or it does not. A passion for research and science can be a static state, but the dynamic nature of curatorial work offers a more engaging experience. Curators thrive in the lively process of handling projects where they can physically interact with the art and artists.
Project work in curating is particularly fascinating, especially when it results in successful exhibitions that lead to financial independence for artists, thereby transforming their creative potential. The role of the curator is crucial in this process, yet it can be challenging. Curators often face the difficulty of staging exhibitions that receive fleeting media coverage, with the reality of starting anew after each event.
Despite these challenges, curating remains an engaging endeavor, especially when it involves discovering and supporting new and intriguing artists. For many curators, the most rewarding aspect is working with emerging talents, providing them with crucial initial support that can lead to significant opportunities and career advancements.
Nini Darchia explores the evolving nature of contemporary art, emphasizing the unique appeal of experiencing an era as it unfolds. For Darchia, being an active participant in this dynamic field is deeply emotional and engaging.
In contemporary art, the roles of artists, curators, critics, gallerists, art historians, and collectors are increasingly interconnected. As a curator, Darchia views herself as a new storyteller in this intricate network, reflecting on how early 21st-century art will be defined and its future impact.
The launch of Gallery 4710 in September 2019 marked a transformative period in Tbilisi's art scene, characterized by a surge in young artists and experimental approaches. Recent global events, such as the coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical conflicts, have further catalyzed new creative spaces. Gallery 4710 serves as a prime example of these emerging environments in the art world.
Nino Sakandelidze’s project, "Clear Hands," introduces a novel exhibition format designed to address pandemic-era restrictions. This project features tangible, handmade artworks presented in lockboxes with a clear, defined format: 10 boxes containing 10 collections of A5-sized paintings by 10 artists. The use of white gloves and the breaking of the "Do Not Touch" convention highlight the tactile luxury of art during the pandemic.
The exhibition showcases 100 carefully selected paintings, arranged to reveal the infinite creative possibilities and potential algorithmic connections between them. "Clear Hands" merges Sakandelidze's curatorial approach with a response to bureaucratic constraints, violence, and space limitations, transforming these challenges into a poetic document of the time.
Since the late 20th century, contemporary art has rapidly evolved, with museums adapting to these changes. The State Silk Museum, under Nino (Chuka) Kuprava’s leadership since 2015, has become a pivotal space for modern art. The museum has launched over 40 projects, blending artistic innovation with scientific insights.
Kuprava’s vision highlights the museum’s role in connecting past and future through dynamic, interdisciplinary approaches. The museum continues to foster collaborations and explore new artistic dimensions, reinforcing its position in the contemporary art scene.
In-Between Conditions explores the impact of rapid technological advancement, digital information dissemination, and media manipulation on human perception and representation. This independent, transdisciplinary platform integrates media art, new technologies, and contemporary culture. Its core mission is to address evolving socio-political contexts, build cultural infrastructure, and advance knowledge production.
Founders and Curators:
Vato Urushadze
Khatia Tchokhonelidze
Giorgi Spanderashvili
Propaganda is a non-profit arts institution dedicated to promoting Georgian contemporary art both locally and internationally. Established in 2017, it raises awareness through community engagement and global outreach. Propaganda supports multidisciplinary projects, including the Georgian Contemporary Art Archive, international and local residencies, the Oxygen Biennial, and the Sonic Arts Laboratory.
Since 2017, the organization has developed an extensive Online Contemporary Art Archive, featuring portfolios of 179 artists and over 5,400 artworks. The archive includes critical monographs, video interviews, and personal archives, aiming to enrich and expand the contemporary art scene in Georgia.
TRANSCENDENTALIA is a peace-building programme that uses the arts in all forms and shapes to build sustainable peace and facilitate personal introspection. The programme is associated with Peace Cathedral, an interfaith hub based in Tbilisi and provides sacred spaces and educational platforms for people of different faiths and those who profess none.
TRANSCENDENTALIA creates a space where renowned and emerging artists from Georgia and other parts of the world unite to use artistic utterances for peacebuilding purposes on a philosophical quest for a more compassionate and harmonious world.
TRANSCENDENTALIA is determined to keep its focus on offering unconventional exhibitions and performances with inspiring and prophetic content, creatively fostering beauty in a world so much dominated by ugliness.
“Tell Me What You Like and I Will Tell You Who You Are”
The Story of Self-Identification Through Art by Thea Goguadze
Key Phrases:
Read Ze-Gavlena, discover, recall, reflect and create your own perspective of current cultural processes.
Cover in Georgian: Lado Alexi-Meshkhishvili, Architect on the Edge of Epochs, Exhibition View, TBC Concept, 2022
Cover English: Dorus Daneels, Wings, Peace Cathedral, 2020
Editor-in-Chief of the publication: Thea Goguadze
Editor of the current issue: Mariam Shergelashvili
Design: Irina Kacharava (I-studio)
