Georgian-born artist Mishiko Sulakauri (1996) has an interdisciplinary base and is demonstrating a wide spectrum of artistic practices. He is based in Tbilisi – in his beloved city and the issues happening around are becoming the biggest tools for his art. After finishing school, Mishiko got an education in stage design at Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili Design school and BA fine arts at Tbilisi State Academy, which became the key to opening new doors for his life. He is interested in observing different spaces, their functions and transformation through time. In his works, he is exploring cults, sacral symbols and their interconnections.
Mishiko’s practice focuses on engaging deep dialogues with local communities.
Mishiko is exploring the connection between urban development and indigenous communities as well as the cross-border issues.
He is co-founder of art collective "ცრუ" 2017 (‘ts-ru : translated as False, unreal, non-existence), which aims to promote Georgian alphabet and visual signs through the street-art practice. Rethinking architecture and environment collective “ცრუ” creates art for the local public with endless meanings.
Mishiko’s works are deeply interconnected with a high mountain region of Georgia- Tusheti, where his roots come from. This isolated place that is cut off from the modern infrastructure still keeps huge sacral information. The hidden signs on the edge of the disappearance, are layered in archetypes in the collective subconscious. Mishiko is researching the ways of translating and transforming the symbols of the past into contemporary artistic iconic images. His artistic practice has started in 2012, when he started to paint sheep all over the Georgias walls - becoming an urban Shepard and giving his street art mythological, historical and political meanings.
Reflecting on the realities in which he exists and works, Mishiko analyzes existing cultural, social, artistic structures and is depicting the state of frustrating, self-limiting conditions under the pressure of culture and the art chain of relationships; He explores the issues of the author as a "producer" of works as well as of power, institution, the art market, and their significance and impact as transformers, such creating a field of a discussion of the boundaries and traps of the contemporary art.
He has shown site-specific art in Kharkiv's Nuclear Research Institute (UPTI) 2021, researching the genesis of the space and secret relationships between physicists and the Institute. Participating in Georgia’s biggest show -“Oxygen Biennial” powered by Propaganda Network (2019, 2021), showing art about Tbilisi’s air pollution by public transport and sending ash-printed letters to the guilty Mayor who is in charge of all this.
He was part of group shows like Tbilisi Architecture Biennial 2019, Kunstlerhouse Faktor (Hamburg 2019), Kunstraum LLC (NYC 2020), Tbilisi Online Biennial 2020, Artisterium Contemporary Art Festival (2020) and
Residency programs like Unlisted Projects (Austin, Texas - Museum Of Human Achievement 2021 ), CEC Artslink Fellowship (NYC 2020-21), Open Place (Kharkiv, Ukraine 2021).
“When I woke up, I was on the bus.
Traveling from station to station, even not figuring out next destination.
Sitting by the window I was catching every visual sign, which was transforming into concepts and meanings, making the road itself a symbolic landmark. Scratches on the chair are telling me stories about the memory and the reflection of the neon signs on the window becoming material through my hands.
Every created image speaks a different language, although I didn’t know, that images could talk. They interact with both, the recipient and the interior cracks on the wall passing by the ceiling. Creating infinite meanings in the spaces they can not be completely captured. Imprinted forever in memory, they remain a constant mystery. Only tourists can understand!
The driver is offering a game of words full of tricks, instead of telling me where we are going. But first I need to end my game before beginning the new one - counting every passenger, again and again.
I don’t have to fall asleep again.”
His signs are offering a day-to-day game of words and images - the environment that can be discussed as a paradoxical field, an eclectic cohesion, a crossroad of diverse language codes, signs, styles and discourses.
www.mishikosulakauri.com
