Project ArtBeat presents 

‘Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe’

‘The same but not equal’ - Rirkrit Tiravania 

A group show curated by Natia Bukia

‘As long as I remember the subject of gender inequality for me has been of a great importance. Since I have become a mother, around 5 years ago, I have been to enormous amount of children’s birthday parties. In Georgia kids’ party venues are all very similar. Special entertainment often includes competitions. For simplicity children are often divided into groups according to gender where no rules for the size of the groups or the ages of the group members are considered. For me these ‘competitions’ are a reflection of the absurd division of men and women that is taking place in the real life. 

Since prehistoric times men and women have been put in confrontation, their differences rather their similarities have been highlighted. ‘No group ever defines itself as One without immediately setting up the Other opposite itself’ – Simone de Beauvoir (The Second Sex, 48 pg.) The fact that gender inequality is a problem still unresolved today is due to the fact that men and women remain in competition. It seems that recently this division has become more intense. This can be attributed to women, whose actions have become an additional trigger for this ‘race’. Their century-old being in unequal conditions with men can be an objective factor for their sudden change but it is still important to realize that the nature of a woman is less competitive. Being in a race is not something a woman inherently requires. Still this division in different teams hinders our longed-for aim of equality. 

‘Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe’ is an exhibition uniting 14 contemporary and modern Georgian artists, who have been divided into two teams. The exhibition is on purpose likened to the competition of Georgian kids’ birthday parties where during division between teams no rules for the equal size of the teams nor equal ages and capacities of the participants are taken into consideration. But this is done for the opposite reason, to emphasize the main flaw that still keeps gender inequality problem alive. In this exhibition all have been given same opportunities and same freedoms. It is important to show the similarities of the ‘teams’ together with their differences. During artwork selection main consideration has been given to highlighting the individualism of each artist together with the diversity of contemporary Georgian art. Although showing works, which either strictly adhere to gender stereotypes or the opposite, destruct them has become of additional interest. This exhibition is not a thorough analysis of the gender inequality problem. This exhibition serves to emphasize the absurd nature of this competition, as is the case in real life, here also no one gets the prize. 

This exhibition is dedicated to my children Maxime, Nina and Petre, so that they can embrace each other’s differences but still stay equal. So that they continue to play in the same team as is the case now.’ – Natia Bukia

Participating artists: Ana Chaduneli, Tamar Chaduneli, Thea Gvetadze, Mamuka Japharidze, Gvantsa Jishkariani, Keti Kapanadze, Tamara K.E., Nika Kutateladze, Emma Lalaeva – Ediberidze, Lado Lomitashvili, Avto Meskhi, Maia Naveriani, Gio Sumbadze, Beso Uznadze.