‘Structural Changes’, ‘The Lost Ones’ and ‘A Wet Circle’: The first decade of the Millennium for Georgian Visual Arts

(Abstract)

Globalization seems to be the major theme for the series of exhibitions held and discussions raised around those, in the beginning of the new millennium era. Recognizing the new world order, emerging anxiety regarding the respective outcomes of a digital epoch, programming language or collision of cultures and migration – can be viewed as some of the key factors.

As Nicolas Bourriaud would put it, what would postproduction result in, if the culture serves as a scenario while art proceeds with reprogramming life itself: “how can we prevent this telescoping of cultures and styles from ending up in kitsch eclecticism, a cool Hellenism excluding all critical judgement?” Given reality no longer differentiates among the first, second and third worlds. Towards the end of 1990s and the beginning of 2000s, features of totalitarian art can still be sensed in Georgian modern art scene: desperately focusing on missed opportunities during the Soviet isolation, striving to master the language of contemporary art which defined that specific period of time worldwide. These circumstances modified somewhat radically around the first decade of the new millennium: Georgian and international mainstream appear to be in sync, however contemporary art praxis is still unavailable for the local audience. A big chunk of society can only perceive a painting, hanging on the wall, as an artwork; while spatial expansion of work, installations and interconnecting all of those with existing social problems – remains attainable exclusively for particular groups of individuals.

The history of the newest Georgian Art launches around 1980-1990. These years can also be considered as a rather crucial turning point with two prime themes: a collapse of the Soviet system and the blank slate of a newly-emerged independence. Art, as a field, evolves on the basis of enthusiastic young artists and certain obstacles/oppositions on their ways. Discussing Georgian Visual Art of that period would not be complete without mentioning Karlo Kacharava, a figure who was involved in each process or activity in one way or another. His manuscripts deliver a lot about the complex practical, as well as emotional circumstances and general hopelessness. Despite, certain 1990s movements, formed by Georgian artists, worked hard not only to survive physically, but also to explore their own identities and act accordingly afterwards. As these responsibilities became broader with time, the new generation started to get involved with international comparative analysis more actively. Quality has been accentuated, through global education accessibility and innovative cooperation expertise. 2007 Venice Biennale hosted Sopo Tabatadze with an installation called ‘Humancon Undercon’ (human condition under construction) – displaying chaotic buildings of spontaneous architecture embroidered and printed on textiles: “- I live in Georgia, where everything is as unstable as earlier but the country, most certainly, is in a state of constant construction. We are going someplace, destination unknown. I used architectural forms in this artwork to exhibit humane conditions, because architecture will exist much longer than it will take individuals to analyze the environment that surroundsthem”.

The general image of the first decade of the new century is much more stabilized, no longer deprived of perspective, or characterized as fragmental. However, long-term projects with a higher purpose, presence of internationally acclaimed concepts are still lacking. Such would be Bourriaud’s relational aesthetics, migration and transformation theory, or the broadening of a collective imagination considering that “a work of art is more than an object, more than a commodity. It embodies a vision of the world, and if taken seriously must be seen as a way of making a world..”1

 

Khatuna Khabuliani, PhD Art History, Ilia State University

26 Nov, 2021

 

1 Daniel Birnbaum. Introduction. 53th international Venice Biennale of Art. Catalogue. 2009. Venice.

”A work of art is more than an object, more than a comodity. It embodies a vision of the world, and if taken

seriously must be seen as a way of making a world..”