deigntbilisi. July 2019

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2019 _ July

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BLINDING GAME Window Project presents Shotiko Aptsiauri’s installation

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Handler John Riepenhoff and 9 Georgian artists of different generations

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Tbilisi Architecture Biennial Interview with Thomas Ibrahim

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#bauhaus100! 8 IDS students to travel to Germany for Bauhaus Centenary

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Tbilisi Chess Palace and Alpine Club On May granted the status of an Immovable Monument of Cultural Heritage

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Photo by Thomas Ibrahim


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Heritage __ Nini Palavandishvili

LISTING THE SITE AS A MONUMENT PROVIDES IT WITH BETTER PROTECTION

TBILISI CHESS PALACE AND ALPINE CLUB by Lado Aleksi-Meskhishvili (1915-78) and Germane Ghudushauri (1939) opened in 1973 in Tbilisi, Georgia and is one of the most remarkable buildings from Late Soviet Modernist architecture. Despite growing international interest towards this period’s architecture, it is still quite underestimated and neglected in Georgia. Even among professional circles, there are relatively few who value the architecture from this time. Generally, the wider public connects these buildings to the Soviet system and its turpitude, and therefore believes that they are of low quality and useless.

Photo by Lela Ninoshvili

In 1973, “in May, sport lovers of the city received a wonderful present – the Chess Palace, which was opened by the queen of chess, four-time world champion Nona Gaprindashvili herself.” __ Original text from the film-magazine “Soviet Georgia”, #4, 1973, Material from the National Archive of Georgia / Audio-Visual and Film Documents. Private Archive photo. Courtesy Germane Gudushauri and David Gurgenidze. 1970’s

Architects of the building – Lado (Vladimer) Alexi-Meskhishvili and Germane Ghudushauri together with the constructor Guram Mebuke (1930-2015) had to solve an interesting task and several challenges while planning the building. The downhill park defined location of the building. Its purpose should have fitted two types of sport; idea and task should have been in harmony with each other and decoration of the building – adequate to its function. Building is remarkable not only by architectural mastership, but is also distinguished by urban planning. The Tbilisi Chess Palace and Alpine Club is organically situated in the Vere Garden. It is not eminent through big scale (plot area 2200 m2, building volume 21290 m2) and does not dominate the rest of the public space. Spread of floors follows the landscape. Glass windows and doors divide façade of the building covered with local beige Eklar stone. This provides lightness to the building looking from outside. Besides, this is a very smart way of using streams of natural light as well as air conditioning through the building. “Sameuli” collective (Alexander Slovinsky (1935), Oleg Kochakidze (1935-2017), Yuri Chikvaidze (1934-2004)) were invited to decorate the building. These artists very consciously decided on the materials – assembling wood pieces on mobile panels, wood carving in the foyer of the second floor, stone carving in the side galleries on the first and second floors – that all resonate with the chessboard as similarly chess figures are usually carved in wood, more exquisite ones in stone or some other material. All above-mentioned demonstrates the value of this building. Nowadays, it is hard to find such a complex approach in urbanism, architecture and in art as well. Tbilisi Chess Palace and Alpine Club is a lucky one to be awarded Keeping It Modern Grant from the Getty Foundation through it’s “Keeping it Modern” initiative, which allows us to prepare its conservation and management plan.

The conservation and management plan is a holistic document which explains the significance and values of the site and proposes ways to retain them. The Tbilisi Chess Palace and Alpine Club conservation plan will include the research on the importance of the building, its detailed physical documentation as well as the various study of its current uses based on surveys and interviews with the various users of the building. The proposed conservation processes, such as repair, restoration, adaptation and preservation will be decided based on all the various values of the site as well as the needs of its users. All the main stakeholders of the building - its owner and users will be actively involved in the planning process through roundtable discussions and stakeholder interviews. In this framework in December 2018 Georgian National Committee of the Blue Shield applied to the National Agency for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage of Georgia to grant the Tbilisi Chess Palace and Alpine Club the status of an architectural monument. On May 27th by the decree of the prime minister of Georgia Tbilisi Chess Palace and Alpine Club was granted the status and is now listed in the national registry of heritage sites as an Immovable Monument of Cultural Heritage! This is a huge success and a great recognition of the building, especially taking into consideration that until now there were only 2 buildings in Tbilisi from late Soviet period, which have similar status - the former Ministry of Highways, currently the head office of the Bank of Georgia and the former Philharmonic, currently known as “Tbilisi Concert Hall / Event Hall.” Both of these buildings were granted the status in 2007 and this is the last date when any building in Tbilisi has been registered as an immovable monument. Listing the site as a monument provides it with better protection. From now on for all the works planned on it, permission will need to be obtained from the The National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia.


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Installation _ Artist’s collaboration with the war museum

Window Project presents Shotiko Aptsiauri’s installation “BLINDING GAME”

This is the artist’s second collaboration with the war museum from the village Ergneti. In this work the artist places the museum objects in a completely different context to tell diverse stories of the August 2008 war. Like in innocent children’s games here Aptsiauri plays with color, text and composition. However displayed texts and objects also offer a certain allegory of political games that lead us to blindness and at the same time serve as the eye-openers. The objects, which are presented in a window of central Tbilisi, are created of bullets, fire and shells. They are preserved at a distance of 50 meters from the occupation line and 110 kms from the display window located in Tbilisi.

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Tbilisi Architecture Biennial

The INHABIT! post-Soviet Tbilisi project saw its first physical intervention as a part of the inaugural Tbilisi Architecture Biennial at the former Industrial Pedagogical Technicum. The project was executed by Thomas Ibrahim, Gio Sumbadze, and Givi Machavariani, with support from architect Prof. Claudio Vekstein. The interventions consisted of a staircase which served as the first access point to the abandoned Technicum Auditorium terrace, an installation on the facade where the “Batman” sculpture was stolen, and an exhibition of archival materials about the building, sculpture, and architect. The most significant of these interventions was the staircase leading to the terrace, as it was built to demonstrate the potential of the space to Tbilisians and the IDP community and inaugurate a public space on the territory. The appropriation of such a symbolic Late-Soviet Functionalist building (which references Constructivism) is a deliberate confrontation with the Soviet ideology and contemporary neoliberal context. Project is funded by Open Society Foundation

Photo by Thomas Ibrahim

INHABIT! post-Soviet Tbilisi is an attempt towards social transformation, but what necessitates a paradigmatic shift from the current reality? The unintegrated Georgian Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), the lack of inclusive social and public infrastructure in the city, the wide generational gap between those who lived in the Soviet Georgia and those who were born after independence, a lack of unity among Georgians which makes the country more vulnerable in its geopolitical location, etc. Why use a Soviet building for a contemporary social transformation, when it carries the imperial Communist (and Russian) identity? Pure identity is a myth; this is true for Georgia also. Since Georgia was Soviet, Soviet-ness is an ineradicable component of the Georgian identity. The former Industrial Pedagogical Technicum was designed by a Soviet-Georgian architect with social and public intentions, and references the early-Soviet Constructivist architecture in its construction. Constructivist architecture was envisioned to be socially transformative, but was just the beginning of an investigation that ended when Stalin ascended to the role of Premier of the Soviet Union. The idea to appropriate the former Technicum is therefore both a social and symbolic ambition. Why not create a new architecture which embodies the country’s independent identity, why work with buildings which represent social transformations of the previous century? Contemporary capitalist archetypes (i.e. gated suburban communities, outdoor shopping malls, business centers) which have made their way into Georgia lack all social dimensions, and are only accessible by the economically privileged members of society, and there has been little

investment by the government into new libraries or other public and educational infrastructure - leaving only the Soviet and pre-Soviet buildings for contemporary use. The new institutional buildings which have been built (i.e. Gldani Vocational Education and Training Center, Saakashvili Presidential Library), are visibly of a lower quality than those of the Soviet constructions, and are totally ideologically and socially void. Furthermore, something must be done with the Soviet buildings in the city - they cannot and should not be destroyed otherwise the qualities of the city which make it Tbilisi will be lost. As most of the public buildings cannot be accepted or used as they are, they ought to be appropriated. Why start with the former Industrial Technicum? The Technicum is inhabited by two unintegrated IDP communities, some of whom do not have privatized apartments since Georgian independence. They are living with the perpetual threat of eviction, and in atrocious living conditions. If a social transformation should take place in Tbilisi, it should start with the most vulnerable members of society, so that they may have a voice in shaping the city. If there are alienated groups in Georgian society and failure to create an egalitarian state, then Georgia will remain vulnerable to its neighbors. What are the prospects with the Technicum? The creation of a community resource center, which is culturally and socially oriented. Tbilisi needs non-discriminatory public space - space which belongs to everyone. The goal of our project, and architectural approach, is the renewal of social spirit. __ biennial.ge Tbilisi Architecture Biennial is Co-funded by the Creative Europe

Axonometric drawing Thomas Ibrahim


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HANDLER JOHN RIEPENHOFF

Project ArtBeat

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1 June - 25 August, 2019

ket. Malkhaz, a welder hired by Riepenhoff there, realizing that the case relates to art tries to show creative initiative and smashes the strictly ordered measurements. Likewise Tbilisi taxi driver Arthur may annoy you with talking about his curatorial practice in the traffic jam on the way from Eliava to Gallery.

Project ArtBeat gallery 14 P. Ingorokva str., Tbilisi, Georgia

Project ArtBeat gallery and TBC Status are pleased to present an exhibition of John Riepenhoff, prominent American painter and 9 Georgian artists of different generations, Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili, Levan Chogoshvili, Mamuka Japharidze, Tamo Jugeli, Nino Kvrivishvili, Sergei Parajanov (presented by Gamrekeli gallery, from Khatuna Melikishvili’s private collection), Ninutsa Shatberashvili, Leila Shelia and Zura Tsofurashvili (presented by Center for Contemporary Arts Georgia), who have been invited by the artist to collaborate with him on the exhibition. Riepenhoff whose artistic and curatorial practice’s main focus is creating a platform to show work by others and collaborating will be exhibiting his Handler series for the first time in Georgia. Handler series act as illusionary sculptural easels that hold other artists’ work. They use the form of the lower half of Riepenhoff’s body as portrait of the unseen support of art handlers, gallerists, patrons, friends, family, and employees of institutions. This project is the embodiment of the support structure for artists and the presence of the artist/curator occupying the role of both. The Handler series uses sculpture as a platform to promote and reframe artwork, exposes the unseen supports built into art systems, suggests a visual metaphor for transport and object circulation, and critically refocuses the values of production and authorship. “When I first met John in Miami December 2018 while both of us were exhibiting at NADA Miami I was amazed how John’s practice even as an artist was focused on giving a platform to others, supporting his local surroundings and mainly collaborating. All these being very dear to me and my way of living I decided to invite John to come and do a show in Georgia at Project ArtBeat to which he agreed to my greatest pleasure. For me the main aim was for John to himself invite the artists without much knowledge of the Georgian art scene and its existing networks. I am happy to see the result of three weeks of working on the show in Tbilisi and John meeting and seeing as many in the field as possible. For me the most important thing is that John managed to involve many people and turn this exhibition into a true collaboration project: one piece of work exhibited is a collaboration between two artists, Ketuta Alexi Meskhishvili and Levan Chogoshvili, one of the sculptures is being managed by CCA who will be rotating the works during two months of the exhibition, Edisher who was helping John with the production of the sculptures is also contributing with writing a piece about the exhibition and for the idea of including a historical work, I am inviting another gallery, Gamrekeli gallery, which symbolically is also our neighbour. What I hope is that this act of acquaintance and collaboration happening from both sides can be expanded even further than this one time exhibition”. - Natia Bukia, Project ArtBeat co-founder.

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However, these Georgian classic examples of creative innovation are well expressed in a common definition: “Art is Life”. The idea of turning art into life (and vice versa) of course originates from the basics of painting and has a deeper aesthetic meaning. But to realize this philosophical thinking is not necessarily as clearly exemplified as it is in the case of the exhibition “Handler” by John Riepenhoff. In the entrance of Project ArtBeat Gallery select a vantage from where you can simultaneously see multiple rooms, but most importantly select a spot with a view of Parajanov and Japharidze’s artworks. Parajanov tries to show the sacral theme in his dark red algae colour fabric piece using collage techniques filling the image plane not with painting, but with found objects. This method is principally different from the strict doctrine of the iconography and brings the artwork from irrational into reality which literally defines the entire concept of the exhibition. The next step in the development of art according to this principle is Mamuka Japharidze’s work from the ROLEX series, where linguistic associations are shown in a painting which establishes new subjective aesthetics. At the same time, with the used of luxury frame, the work emphasis commercialization of art. John Riepenhoff, who is simultaneously an exhibitor, curator and author of the show further intensifies the sense of realism with his own legs dressed in Levi’s jeans and Nike sneakers and brings the paintings from the walls further to the inner space. The perceptions of the three-dimensional objects are now possible also from the back, and in this way, we have the opportunity to get to know original facsimiles of the authors: Zura Tsofurashvili, Ninutsa Shatberashvili, Tamo Jugeli, Leila Shelia, Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili and Levan Chigoshvili, Nino Kvrivishvili. The absolute majority of the artworks are abstract and with their presentation in the inner space or allegorically “life” the American artist continues on the development of the exhibition theme, which has been started by Mamuka Japharidze and Parajanov, which can be “a tree of life”. If we make a reference with Roland Barthes, life is not only art, but it is also text and thus together with above mentioned Malkhaz and Arthur I am also participating in this exhibition with this text. Since modern texts can not only consume life but also the author, for this reason I will leave the space for my name empty”.

* “”Every man is an artist” - This well known phrase which already sounds cliché in the twentieth century interestingly becomes true for instance in the situation accompanying the Wisconsin artist and gallery owner John Riepenhoff at the Eliava marPhotos by Guram Kapanadze


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LC QUEISSER

Image: Rose Salane Courtesy the artist and Carlos/Ishikawa

GROUP SHOW CURATED BY MARINA CARON 14 July - 01 September Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili American Artist Brandon Ndife Rose Salane

LC QUEISSER Tsinamdzgvrishvili st. 49, Tbilisi, Georgia www.lc-queisser.com


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tbilisiartfair.art

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International Design School IDS

Eight IDS students will traveling to Germany to celebrate #bauhaus100! In June 2019 IDS students could win final internal competition! It was open to every bachelor and master student of IDS. The winner is the last in the group of 8 IDS students to travel to Germany for Bauhaus Centenary. Competition 8 Theme was: The best photograph of IDS premises (inside, outside, terrace or detail).

100 years of bauhaus: the Anniversary A break with traditional ideas and old ways of life, and a new way of thinking in art, architecture, education and society: when Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus in 1919, he established a school of design which still inspires today. In keeping with its motto ‘Thinking the World Anew’, the Bauhaus Association 2019 will join regional, national and international partners in facilitating a rediscovery of the Bauhaus heritage and its present and future significance. New museums, a big opening festival, a modernist trail across Germany, exhibitions and much more besides bauhaus100.com/the-centenary


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Catrin Bolt. Exhibition 29.06 - 07.09 Gallery Nectar Bochorishvili st. 89 Tbilisi 0160 (next to the presidental library) hours: by appointment gallerynectar.ge nectargallery@gmail.com +995 598 511 505

gallerynectar.ge

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Kunsthalle Tbilisi

Saul Anton

Belated Cosmopolitanism Extract from catalogue text for Tabula Rasa Gabriela von Habsburg 20 years in Georgia Exhibition includes works by: Giorgi Geladze, Salome Chigilashvili, Liza Tsindeliani and Giorgi Vardiashvili Curated by: Irena Popiashvili The exhibition is accompanied by catalogue with essays by Kimberly Bradley and Saul Anton. The exhibition is done in partnership with Goethe Institute Georgia and supported by the Georgian National Museum.

“Certainly, the dynamic between center and periphery is very different today from what it was in 2001, when Okwui Enwezor (who sadly passed away recently) made it the beating postcolonial heart of Documenta 11. Europe and the United States are now only one of multiple centers in a truly global constellation of biennials, fairs, and museums of contemporary art. Moreover, these days alterity — or otherness — is defined just as often subjectively — for instance, in terms of race, gender or sexuality — as it is geographically. Is Georgia thus a periphery that has become a “center” — a “new Berlin” — even if the Kremlin could still swallow it whole again, The memories of the last time this happened, in 1921, when the Bolsheviks marched into Georgia, ending its newly gained independence from Tsarist Russia, are still painfully close — especially with Russia currently occupying a fifth of Georgian territory. I would like to risk the following idea: Tbilisi may indeed be a center today, but only if we recognize that the art world — perhaps like the world in general — is significantly decentered. Today, in contrast to 2001, at the apogee of the Pax Americana, every corner of the world has become an “influencer” — if we can borrow a social media concept — on a global stage where the hegemony of the Euro-American world is in decline. It is no secret that the Western liberal democratic hegemony that Enwezor called “Westernism” is everywhere in retreat. Without pretending to know the future, or parse the complexities of this retreat, either in its philosophical foundations or in its real-world ramifications, I would simply remark that the rise of authoritarianism, nationalism, and other forms of political extremism around the world in recent years, highlights a paradoxical aspect of this retreat:” the dark face of the hyper-individuation of consumer capitalism that Guy Debord and Situationism diagnosed long ago as the misery at the heart of the “society of the spectacle.” Driven by globalization and the internet, all identities — from the individual to the regional and national—have grown increasingly absolute, even as the global network as a whole only grows stronger and more technologically integrated. This new decentered center — financial, cultural, artistic, and technological — is deeply embedded in everyday life, but its “messages,” promulgated on social media, are less and less translatable or simply directed into tighter and tighter circles of true believers. The center is both nowhere and everywhere.”

The catalogue is available at the Georgian National Museum’s bookstore at Rustaveli avenue 3 Photo by Guram Kapanadze

kunsthalletbilisi.org


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Contemporary Art Archive

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July _

Workshops September 14 -15, 2019 Magnum Professional Practice Series with Tbilisi Photo Festival Fabrika, 8 Egnate Ninoshvili St, Tbilisi, Georgia Magnum Photos and Tbilisi Photo Festival are proud to present the first in a series of professional practice workshops taking place in Tbilisi, Georgia, during the opening weekend of the festival. This weekend will be led by Jérôme Sessini (Magnum photographer), Jeroen Kummer (Co-founder and Creative Director of Kummer & Herrman), Katarzyna Sagatowska (Curator, photographer, and lecturer) and Sonia Jeunet (Education Manager and producer, Magnum Photos).

For enquiries relating to this project please email Sonia Jeunet: sonia.jeunet@magnumphotos.com Photo: Jérôme Sessini. Magnum Photos

Galleries, tbilisi May 16 - July 6, 2019 LC Queisser Tsinamdzgvrishvili St. 49 Tbilisi, Georgia

Thea Gvetadze. ‘Subtropical Ushguli’

May 20 - September 10, 2019

Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia 3 Shota Rustaveli Ave. Tbilisi, Georgia

Museum Fest. Story told by postage stamps

May 31 – August 31, 2019 Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia 3 Shota Rustaveli Ave. Tbilisi, Georgia

Georgian National Museum presents a multimedia technology exhibition “IMMAGICA. A journey into beauty”

June 1 - August 25, 2019 Project ArtBeat gallery 14 P. Ingorokva str., Tbilisi, Georgia

John Riepenhoff. Handler. With 9 Georgian artists of different generations, who have been invited by the artist to collaborate with him on the exhibition

June 4 – July 4, 2019 Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery 11, Shota Rustaveli Ave, Tbilisi, Georgia

Georgian National Museum presents solo exhibition “Zero” by Georgian artist Vakho Bugadze

June 23 – August 30, 2019 Window Project Public art vitrine At rustaveli 37 Shotiko Aptsiauri’s installation “BLINDING GAME” Artist’s second collaboration with the war museum from the village Ergneti June 17 – July 17, 2019 Zurab Tsereteli MoMa Tbilisi Rustaveli Av. 27 Tbilisi, Georgia

Jonas Bendiksen. “The Last Testament”

May 15 – July 15, 2019 ERTI Gallery 19 P. Ingorokva str / 5 9April str, 0108 Tbilisi, Georgia

Uta Bekaia. The Present (“Superhumans” trilogy)

May 17 – July 20, 2019 Window Project E.Tatishvili 9, Tbilisi, Georgia

Salome Machaidze . Vancouverian Vendetta

July 29 – September 7, 2019

Gallery Nectar Bochorishvili st. 89 Tbilisi 0160 (next to the presidental library)

Catrin Bolt Exhibition Hours: by appointment gallerynectar.ge

June 27 – September 10, 2019

Georgian National Museum Ioseb Grishashvili Tbilisi History Museum (Karvasla) 8, Sioni Str. Tbilisi, Georgia

Vakho Bugadze's exhibition "Three, Four" Together with artists Gogi Okropiridze and Catrin Bolt

July 12 – July 31, 2019 MAUDI A.Tsereteli Avenue 140 Publisher: Operators:

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