Georgia on My Mind
Sponsorred by; STEP BEYOND European Cultural Foundation
We are recruting an Embedded FILMCREW
Chroniquer, Sharp-Thinker, Communicator in Georgia willing to co-Operation BrainStorm
Group of Dutch artists Jeanette Groenendaal, Zoot Derks and Anouk Sluizer, are invited by cultural organization Art Villa Garikula for artistic researches which takes place in the middle of September 2009 in Georgia. We were selected through Dutch organization FCED (foundation of cultural exploration and development) and recommended to Art Villa Garikula for invitation. Art villa garikula is a cultural centre located in GeorgiaÕs village Garikula, which has earned a good reputation within the contemporary artists, cultural organizations and art communities.
www.garikula.org At this moment, Art Villa Garikula with collaboration of FCED and other foreign organizations is inviting European artists to together find out the realistic possibilities for international professional collaboration between artists; discuss about realisable international cultural projects and support artistic researches. The final aim of Art Villa Garikula, is to found the EU cultural centre in Georgia.
Anouk Sluizer, Jeanette Groenendaal and Zoot Derk are working in the cinematography, visual and performing arts. Being artists of a discipline of vast possibilities and having a long time work experience, we would like to take this new challenge to investigate and widen the area of our creativity and at the same time try to set up an appropriate cooperative terms with our Georgian colleagues in as many aspects as it will be affordable.
Sponsorred by; STEP BEYOND European Cultural Foundation
We are recruting an Embedded FILMCREW
Chroniquer, Sharp-Thinker, Communicator in Georgia willing to co-Operation BrainStorm
Group of Dutch artists Jeanette Groenendaal, Zoot Derks and Anouk Sluizer, are invited by cultural organization Art Villa Garikula for artistic researches which takes place in the middle of September 2009 in Georgia. We were selected through Dutch organization FCED (foundation of cultural exploration and development) and recommended to Art Villa Garikula for invitation. Art villa garikula is a cultural centre located in GeorgiaÕs village Garikula, which has earned a good reputation within the contemporary artists, cultural organizations and art communities.
www.garikula.org At this moment, Art Villa Garikula with collaboration of FCED and other foreign organizations is inviting European artists to together find out the realistic possibilities for international professional collaboration between artists; discuss about realisable international cultural projects and support artistic researches. The final aim of Art Villa Garikula, is to found the EU cultural centre in Georgia.
Anouk Sluizer, Jeanette Groenendaal and Zoot Derk are working in the cinematography, visual and performing arts. Being artists of a discipline of vast possibilities and having a long time work experience, we would like to take this new challenge to investigate and widen the area of our creativity and at the same time try to set up an appropriate cooperative terms with our Georgian colleagues in as many aspects as it will be affordable.
Diary notes
of brainstrom moments from a week in Georgia in search of Future Collaborations. Guided by Maia Simonia and Art Villa Garikula with Anouk Sluizer, Zoot Derks and Jeanette Groenendaal. To be processed and analyzed later, enriched with the names and links of the artists involved and a montage of the video recordings I've made ('cause sometimes images work so much faster )
Flying off we discuss the movie Power Trip, shot in Georgie by Paul Devlin, 2003, the movie of our friend Mijnheer van Dam and the annual International film festival in Tbilisi in the last semester of the year, and the huge theatrical scene for the size of the city. In Amsterdam I’ve met quiet a few Georgian Artists, mainly female, and the latter is one of my great joys in expectations; The women in Georgia seem independent and strong (although Rob Birza told us last week that Georgian men are the most beautiful on earth).
It feels very safe to visit a city with art and culture, although there have been reports on war and political struggles on the media. Yesterday morning we watched the color of pomegranate, it had been over 25 years ago I watched that movie, what time changes our perspectives in looking! Now in the vessel of Turkish Airlines, I already recognize faces of Georgia, Interesting. A Land that I have never seen before, a culture with the deepest roots that has already influenced my art making and sense for poetry for such a long time.
We have a program: at arrival we will be brought to Art Villa Garikula in the mountains for 3 days; later in the week we will present my movie, and give a lecture at the film and theatre academy of Tbilisi. We will meet Artist and Philosophers, and of course visit some bands and friends.
I always liked to read the lonely planet travel guide on my flight, history and facts of Georgia in my head in this small space flying above the clouds gives a certain feel of extreme concentration, I would love to have my study from this objective distance more often actually, although I heard some complaints from peoples that were born with a constellation that enables them these ways.
Inspiration starts flowing to think of a scene to shoot with Georgian filmmakers:
The sacrifice of a lamb on the mount Ararat shot completely without further notions of nationality or time, poetical or personal documentary - scapegoat- could be a goat – or music, that turns the sound of silence into music. I can hear my wishes in the air and nevertheless, will stay open and encounter Georgia on a level of exchange not only at my pre-visionary wishes, although this might be a fertile start for future collaborations.
It is an honor to be invited to travel to a country and meet up with artists at work, to discover and explore possible future projects. On top of that; I don’t know this beautiful Caucasus, these high mountains between the Black and Caspian Sea that separate Middle East from Russia and is called Eurasia, with very ancient Christian traditions that have re-flourished so much since the fall of the Russian Regime.
The plain is shaking to wild to typewrite, my new study’s mobility wakes me up, Down there clouds are decent and regular in lines, casting their shadows as Dalmatians on the fields. a river meandering through the landscape that has definitely transformed since I saw the straight polder patterns of the designed grids placed upon the Netherlands.
Something strange happened with the view from the air cabin, any sign of horizon has disappeared, the Caspian sea reflects the color of the sky as a perfect mirror, no more difference or borders between earth and space, may this picture stay with me when we visit Georgia, may our physical presence reflect on space without borders. This said the clouds have resurfaced; flat whips of light scapes, like huge atmospheric space vessels. I wonder the lightships, maybe because of on the right of our plane Mount Ararat, the mountain of Noah should raise soon. Georgian Peoples name themselves after the descendent of Noah, and the big blue below must be the flooded world of ancient stories.
Up to Georgia of the fall of 2009, thirsty for wine !
Our thirst is lasted immediately at arrival of our plane at the landings strip, firemen run to our plane while we park at the strip itself, after making a U turn immediately after landing… commotion on the floor, red suits and a huge water tube aimed at our plane just in front of my window. At the horizon we see an endless row of snowed mountains, a strip of 400 kilometers of High mountains. The firemen multiply, and watching authorities smoke their cigars with worried faces. At take of to the airport we seem to have a flat tire at least, the office is better in the air than on wheels.
We wake up in an Indian summer in the mountains, the river flows by and a dog is barking. I remember our trip last night with full moon through the unpaved roads and a warm welcome in Art Villa Garigula, which, in daylight, is surpassing the memory of Pippie Langkous house, a mystique yet free building in a sounds cape filled with birds. Table is full of harvested apples and in the windows bottled fruits to make all kinds of home vodka. An accordionist opens his breat and we listen to Karreman, the founder of this place filled with possibilities for a future of Art. In the distance there is a cone shaped rock at a walk of 3 hours distance there is a monastery on top, that’s all there can be on top, like a cherry on a pie.
We think all the time on solutions for the traumatized owner, his world as avant-garde artist, that was raised in the soviet system as art teacher in the richest soviet country Georgia, sister capital of art with St Petersburg. The times have destroyed the ideologies but also the infrastructure and the directions of motivations. Here in the former summer school area of the art academy, in the meditative countryside he squatted 11 years ago and took his students to Art action the walls. The results are still there, a refined atmosphere, huge ateliers and wooden balconies and rooftops with stairs and irregularities so welcome to my Dutch design fear.
The post communist trauma comes practically to the problem that it seems very difficult to make art in a capitalist way, there is a thirst for stories on how art may bridge and build bridges to Europe and the rest of the world. Our invitation comes in the festival of …….. an international artist exchange. Peoples from Los Angeles, Austria, France, Netherlands and Germany visited and left works and thoughts behind. A campaign to collaborate in art fields, film theatre and sculpture, music literature and painting there is traces of everything and a meeting of cultural perspectives that Georgian peoples seem so thirsty for.
This initiative however is organized with a very limited budget. We had great dinner last night but we will pay in advance for the 3 days because the budget is fully finished. From my memory of initiatives in the 80 is France, I think these times are the best, but I can feel the struggles of the past paid their toll to the hopes and believes of the Georgians, they need action and want to communicate on How they can develop their communicative skills to ameliorate and flourish their aspirations, as we all wish fertilizers, I think now on how to spent a generous action of sharing experience.
- www.eurocult.org
- Ancient Christianity Monasteries and art in immediate surroundings
- Beautiful country side and food and a magic house open for constructions
- Affordable budget, 10 euro a night and 5 euro food per person
- Open for collaborations and groups like DasArts, workshops, international
- And in this sense Personally I also think India and Asia !
My biggest question I could not place yet is: How to connect the freedom aspiring art loving Georgians to the neighboring countries like IRAN, Not to forget this country is the Switzerland of Saudi- Arabia, the riches of the world are just down South and that culture is getting a mix of all kind of religions as well, I can see a bright future for the middle east and for the first time I realize the war and conflicts sustained might be very comfortable for a western power maintenance- W discussed the question; its complicated; Europe seems a closer neighbor than the Arabic Middle East- how long do I have to listen and understand this geographical political situation ?
We visit a public art project in Tbilisi although this was only after a long political geographical history positioning of Georgia at the breakfast table and a rough drive through the silent country with Scott and a street bear tap stop.
Public Art in one of the most romantic hilltop traditional storey balcony’s wooden Tbilisi houses quiet damaged by earthquake and wars, with Russia and civil.
Don’t change anything for everything will be different – Jean Luc Goddard-
Micro-rayons are the large scale social housing projects developed throughout the entire eastern Europe and the former soviet union. A mirco rayon or micro district was supposed to be a self-sufficient unit affording its inhabitants comfort and the pleasure of living. Thus realizing Le Courbusiers utopia of the collectivity and harmonious cohabitation through architectural and social engineering. Paradoxically, in the old Bethlemi, one of the most heterogeneous districts of old Tbilisi, the utopian idea of an inner city both concentrated on itself and open to the world is closer to the truth. Situated on sleep slopes, Bethlemi never entered into capitalist logic- you wont find new luxury cars, advertisements, or even any new shops around here. Rather, everything is self-organized. Even food is still conveyed via by a hand made mobile car.
The public art project Bethlemi Mikro-Raioni will be a way of mapping a district through artistic interventions in its structure, where art will often blend with everyday life. Television sets will broadcast video art, a Tamada will toast the hermaphroditic Mother Georgia, the flowers of Caucasian democracy will blossom and the Zoroastrian calendar will be in force. The interventions of the artists theoreticians and architects will confront the unwanted idea of the soviet micro rayon’s with the romantic Bethlemi quarter as yet untouched by gentrification and neo liberalism.
We filmed on my old 3ccd chipped dv cam that lays the most stabile in hand. And I can’t wait to edit the material and attach it to this file, not only for you the reader, but also for the artists that were there and the convenience to tell with images for myself.
The theme of destruction was continued in the young performances, and made a deeper impact on my understanding. A group tackled the interior of a house to demolish meticulously during the day. In an unfinished building houses were projected that were demolished one by one, a conflict between comfort and nonconformity between fiction and reality by the Bouillon Group. The blossoming of the plastic flowers of Sophia Tbatadze, “In a country with a flourishing Democracy” following the Georgian facades between 2003 and 2008. While Georgia has been rushing from one system to another, this façade has been quickly adapting and making itself look like Europe.- to be honest there was much more
But at present I am at the breakfast table of Art Villa Garigula, everybody at the table is concentrated, reading writing and Anouk just picks an apple to sit outside in the sun. It’s October and we experience a few days of Indian Summer. We are thinking how to present Art villa Garigula to our friends’ artists from all over the world as a perfect residency, collaboration house in the mountains. Like the musician Scott ( wish we could put some of his music here) made a few albums and other writers and painters studied their times, here, Zoot is going through a collection of books of the founder Karreman, Dada, hundred year old books on the influence of futurism on the Georgian art, relations between 3 artists- Pirosmani, Iliadz and Picasso. The grandfather of Karreman was the director of the art academy of Tbilisi. We will attend his exhibition in a few days. Unfortunately we will miss the exhibition of Karreman himself on the 15th although we have a private show here in his huge living there is a mad mans production of paintings going on.
3 kittens were born with full moon and to be honest, I don’t feel like leaving tomorrow. We are planning to reserve ahead and spend a month in May or September writing or even editing could be a good job here in the friendly silence of this surroundings.
Maia has arrived, everybody gathers around the table. I have just uploaded some picures at facebook and checked my email, on the Dutch consulate friends of my friend Leen Laconte that we will meet on Thursday on the opening of grandpas exhibition.
We have a discussion on the collaboration of the initiation of a new art centre or residency, starting a foundation, via Maia Simona, to find ways to give understanding and the geographical situation of Georgia and its history, land of freedom in Garikula, first communication inspiration engagement and empowerment. The importance to understand for EU this is a writers place; we can give the possibility and have the first writers step, the right place and politics, If we are declared without contemporary art we cannot rebuild new bridges of peace. Without Art it is impossible to rebuild and reformation after destruction. First we would like to research and analyze the situation.
We discuss the Internet networks, to use to start a PR campaign
What we need: collaboration with foreigners
- Law system protection security, declaration to democracy artistic society needs a legal system, if peoples guarantee friendship to the organization. Diplomacy is needed to ask and be raised. From the Georgian Government. Let us write this foundation is a way to develop to a democratic country
- Beamer, dvd player
- Internet connection or a better computer or a web designer/ manager
- Fundraising in Amsterdam for some basic utilities
- Pavilion, lemonade at the beginning of the century, architectural project in the pink revolution, explaining about our government in Venice biennale 5 years ago.
I need: a statement of Garikula, about the visionary political ideas for art in a reconstruction of peace and a country. Financial injection. ?
Catalogue of Garikula exists already
Villa Garikula into W139 or some other artspace in Amsterdam (Netherlands)
A list cv mission picture and collaborators of Garikula on 1a4, brochure
Ghatuna is manager from Garikula right now but she needs to write her master thesis.
Ondertussen zijn we woensdag en wonen we Tbilisi. Het internet café prosperous books doet et weer niet en we eten een kilo cheesecake.
In the afternoon we walked up hill and crossed the old summer school of the art academy in the soviet times. The house first belonged to the Machiavelli, and was occupied by the Germans, the Soviet and the Artists before it came back completely destroyed to the noble family living still at the foot of this most wonderful building with reminiscent of Asian Mosaique and modern art drawings overlooking the valley and villa Garkul. Our host Maia Simona was recognized by the old nobility woman after 25 years and we were treated to a stunning architectural history visit, a mélange of archives on walls and memories of Maia’s School time in the mountains. A Nostalgia to the Peaceful Artistic Times of Soviet youth that Mai promised to clarify upon more specifically later this week. To my brainwashed western mind off course I have suppositions that are to be put to a ters, and certainly after our lunch at the patio with figs, cake wine and grapes of a perfume most sweet and fraquenced
In the evening after an other great meal with wallnutsauce and vegetables, cant even remember the copious possibilities and the new artists painting at Garikula; Livonian and German fresh men with big canvasses on the roof.
I’ ve spent researching funding websites till the evening late and proposed to proof read money requests, but I cannot feel getting the money together to fund projects although I really think Garikula deserves a help and financial injection to keep their
Showing Dutch Cocaine Factory in the New Art café in the biggest city of the Caucasus brought me quiet a few audiences from the film festival Lacha Baqradze, director of the film festival and Nana Kipiani, Arthistoria, Sophia and Nino, artist in residency in Tbilisi Artist that was performer David and his knitting girl that did Rietveld, friends Mamuka, philosopher. Leban the old friend of Maia Simonia from the art school. It was surprisingly well understood in Georgia, a nd the translations of maia afterwards were smooth and quick, we talked for over 45 minutes on wiretapping and country secrets, the believe that Holland should be transparent and the amazement of Anouk Suizer our colleque that my movie was banned from national televison.
We dined in jazzy café with the musician friends of Maia, and got home in our 3 apartment home in the centre of town.
As much as I thought Tbilisi is an interesting place with the peoples I ve met, in art and talks it is interesting and we have a light dialogue on past history and future possibilities, as much as now the city besides its fruits of a harvest in the nature, is grey and por. At the film and theatre academy there is a lack of material so the lecture of Anouk cannot take place for there is no internet connection. At the moment there is a breakdown of electricity in the ciy and it was the forst time I entered a modem apple store without electricity. I started now to have talks with the curious young generation of witch I’ ve found a few video makers, with aspirations and I gave away a few stranger academy DVD ‘s to them as well as to the girl in the apple store that was so relieved that it was not for professionals only. Also the PR students that PR red their young 20 year brother in law as the most interesting creative young boy of the country looked very happy and surprised with his educational DVD and surely wanted to upload his animations and videos. Stranger is a marvelous thing to do in this grey area where you hardly meet any pink unless you pay European prices for the great marks creams of things, but even that is hidden in a veil of dusty memories of destructive times… if a pink revolution is see through my eyes today it’s the cover of the Stranger DVD.
Our guide didn’t receive any funding to tour us around, there is something in our organization, the invitation that is certainly willing needing and inspired to engage and empower Tbilisi and the art scene, but there is not once cent to produce so there is no production and we are asked performances advice and presence, off course we enjoy and we pay but it became a bit genant to be dependent on translations and directions is address and peoples on a person that doesn’t have any budget but at the same time refuses help from our side. I very much feel the most interesting part to write is not this diary but a evaluation to the organizers and for the next time to be a bit more clear and precise. Anouk just cancelled her lecture at the film academy because she cannot get into internet, Zoot and me prepaire for a lecture but as far as we have the impression for now we see only students of 15- 20 years old, wich is maybe a bit too young for zoots master thesis. But we enjoy and relax in a small café till we will join he audience and see our surprise. I haven’t seen the poster of publicity yet, but for sure a few peoples of our audience from yesterday will come and we will communicate our ideas on the deconstruction of timeline hierarchy.
Tomorrow I need a break to do what ever I want
Is that shopping? of will I choose the bathhouse with a massage ? Visiting the opening of the grandfather of Karreman will be in the evening and I reserved my best clothes The weather has changed.
All together the week went by at a pace of Caucasus, Tbilisi’s twijfel tower pumping energy to the sky. Maybe because of the bottle of vodka we drank that night, Anouk and me after visiting the atelier of leban, in a high soviet building with a coin elevator and without raamkozijnen for they were burnt in less confortable times. We entered this ’80 romantic top floor with a great terrace and beautiful wine, and some marijuana. Times flew by and I ve found myself in the 80, back in the smell of oil on canvas, with portraits of peoples I don’t know, atmosphere of a love for all those peoples, but most of them death, memories of my squatting times, although this great penthouse was bought for 3000 dollars just after the war. Greedy we informed ourselves on the prices nowadays but they range till 100000-euro witch is certainly not a bargain, but what else to spent your money on? The parents of Maia lost their pension in the change of regime, the break of communism left her parents behind broke from their 60 000 savings…. But before we sat at the lunch table Anouk and me drank a bottle of vodka at the Buffalo Bill, - just the closest to our apartment so we would be able to find home easily- to drink away the disappointment that there was no internet connection at the film and theatre academy.
At this lecture Zoot Derks talked about his latest work at the University of Amsterdam: Polderpiece. A deconstruction of a timeline as the archival field. The students were around 22 so the language although very precisely translated by maia had to be chosen comprehensively and I’ve filed it off course. The philosopher and his art historian wife were there, and our landlord Lia
A visit at the prestigious national museum with the exhibition of Karremans grandfather and the international Tbilisi art festival the last two days the visit to the sulpher baths and the religious shops for souvenirs will be for later. As well as reflections, but I would rather have you watch the link and edit of my camerawork’s during this week. It’s a great impression so far in wich I maybe enjoyed the most the moment of music at the restaurant were we ate sheep brains. To be honest, I love the culture in the peoples, nit in institutes how young and vibrant and learning they are, for me its deep soul stuff, not merely art politics but the surrendering of the ego to a different expression than the everyday communication, to dream off not to merchandise or intellectualize, but the mere communication of the feelings and how sad the music how silenced my mood. Even tonight in the car, the radio switch form Michael Jackson to the vibrant clarinet, oh Georgia….
I just remembered how Lia told us at a coffee table that Georgians are so strong, only 30 percent died where there was an expectation of 70%. Only 30 percent died! And this was after the Russian Bolsheviks, and after the soviet times where all intellectuals and thinkers writers and other free minds were exterminated, oh Georgian pride of survival, even with the heritage of a Georgian Stalin, how do you deal? The continuous suspicion of the role of the other, as protector or enemies even in your own culture corrupted by KGB and secret services…..
Back home in Amsterdam television zapping teaches me strong women, army propaganda credit crisis dealing; publicity for simple foods and depts. handling. Everything looks fine for the next 30 years over here, it feels so calm, just relax and read books, stay in contact with the artists, we just learned to see peoples live with 40 euro a month, very decent and gay, intellectual and friendly, art loving and nourishing. A friend Dutch – Hungarian writer calles me up. He is so Fond of Maia Simonia. We Are exchanging friends and histories, food and love and understanding of our fragile human conditions.
Georgia on my Mind ZOOT derks
Maia Simonia (novalis [at] zonnet.nl) was our main contact, facilitator and curator in Georgia.
She initiated and stimulated the Operation Brainstorm project. Together with Anoek Sluizer, Jeanette Groenendaal we were a small cultural delegation sponsored by the ECF Step Beyond program.
Maia and her twin sister, her silent shadow Marina were our cultural guides in Georgia. But Maia had invited us to participate in the Art Villa Garikula events, an Arts in Residency mansion directed by Karaman Kutateladze www.garikula.org/en/p/8p.html during the International festival FESTINOVA, that was part of the 2nd International Contemporary Art Exhibition and Art Events ( 05-15 October 2009) www.artisterium.org/info.html. The aim of the enterprise was to explore and research future artistic possibilities, possible collaborations and discuss possible future exchange programs.
Besides our visit to Art Villa Garikula, Maia Simonia introduced us to organisers, curators and artists and a multitude of different cultural Tbilisi Art networks at different locations and events; for example at the opening of National Museum, which was very crowded, we met the former Dutch Rietveld student Sophia and her mother Nino Tabatadze, www.sophia-tabatadze.com/ now both very active in the cultural scene in Tbilisi. At the art event Artisterium we filmed and interviewed at the Public Art Project Bethlemi Mikro Raioni project the curator and participants.
My encounter with Lasha Bakradze www.filmcetre.ge/ (Georgian National Film Centre) was important, because he gladly participated in my art project called Polder Piece, which is about artistic archival fields. Initial conversations and research for possible International initiative and future collaboration were discussed with Nani Kipiani (art Historian and Teacher Tbilisi Art Academy, nana@airl.ge) and her painter/ husband Levan Chogoshvili iliazd@airl.ge, drinking their excellent wine from their own east Georgian vineyard.
The movie Dutch Cocaine Factory (in which I collaborated with Jeanette Groenendaal) was shown in the Tbilisi New Art Café www.newart.org.ge , with Q&A and I lectured at the School for film and Theatre Tbilisi about my video research projects and together with Jeanette Groenendaal about the ECF stranger festival. We showed parts of the ECF Stranger DVD. The students seemed enthusiast about this initiative.
Finally, after our visit to the historical opening of the exhibition of the Georgian painters Pirosmani, Iliads and their artistic relation with the French painter Picasso in the Georgian National Museum www.museum.ge ,we were invited at the French embassy www.ambafrance-ge.org/EssaiSPIP/spip.php, which was very interesting as initial introduction in Georgian cultural networks.
The visit to Georgia went beyond expectation. I must say thanks to our excellent guide Maia Simonia. In a cultural vortex we scanned the Georgian landscape, as far as this is possible in such a short time. As planned, we met many different and colourful people; we were invited in a very positive mood, a willingness and openness towards our small delegation.
The research opportunities were real. I think possible concrete realisations were balanced lightly and are still in process. We felt and discussed the enduring the ever presence of the power asymmetry between the superpower Russia and Georgia. And by all means this conflict is situated within the cultural field as well. It articulated the non-neutral cultural dialogue of the west with Georgia. But instead of just projecting my Dutch or Western European biased view and wishes; I opened up for possible new perspectives. (Not planned beforehand) A deep impact made the conversations with artists of the harmed (traumatic, lost) generation, who shifted through the ideological 1980s and 90s. Their dealings with problematic pasts and presents which I recognize, I’m inspired and challenged, even within this still narrow scope of peeping into the Georgian world in such a short time. I experienced this trip like a flashbulb experience. But Georgian ambiguity has a beauty which for sure develops in the future into more artistic research. To be continued.
Maia Simonia (novalis [at] zonnet.nl) was our main contact, facilitator and curator in Georgia.
She initiated and stimulated the Operation Brainstorm project. Together with Anoek Sluizer, Jeanette Groenendaal we were a small cultural delegation sponsored by the ECF Step Beyond program.
Maia and her twin sister, her silent shadow Marina were our cultural guides in Georgia. But Maia had invited us to participate in the Art Villa Garikula events, an Arts in Residency mansion directed by Karaman Kutateladze www.garikula.org/en/p/8p.html during the International festival FESTINOVA, that was part of the 2nd International Contemporary Art Exhibition and Art Events ( 05-15 October 2009) www.artisterium.org/info.html. The aim of the enterprise was to explore and research future artistic possibilities, possible collaborations and discuss possible future exchange programs.
Besides our visit to Art Villa Garikula, Maia Simonia introduced us to organisers, curators and artists and a multitude of different cultural Tbilisi Art networks at different locations and events; for example at the opening of National Museum, which was very crowded, we met the former Dutch Rietveld student Sophia and her mother Nino Tabatadze, www.sophia-tabatadze.com/ now both very active in the cultural scene in Tbilisi. At the art event Artisterium we filmed and interviewed at the Public Art Project Bethlemi Mikro Raioni project the curator and participants.
My encounter with Lasha Bakradze www.filmcetre.ge/ (Georgian National Film Centre) was important, because he gladly participated in my art project called Polder Piece, which is about artistic archival fields. Initial conversations and research for possible International initiative and future collaboration were discussed with Nani Kipiani (art Historian and Teacher Tbilisi Art Academy, nana@airl.ge) and her painter/ husband Levan Chogoshvili iliazd@airl.ge, drinking their excellent wine from their own east Georgian vineyard.
The movie Dutch Cocaine Factory (in which I collaborated with Jeanette Groenendaal) was shown in the Tbilisi New Art Café www.newart.org.ge , with Q&A and I lectured at the School for film and Theatre Tbilisi about my video research projects and together with Jeanette Groenendaal about the ECF stranger festival. We showed parts of the ECF Stranger DVD. The students seemed enthusiast about this initiative.
Finally, after our visit to the historical opening of the exhibition of the Georgian painters Pirosmani, Iliads and their artistic relation with the French painter Picasso in the Georgian National Museum www.museum.ge ,we were invited at the French embassy www.ambafrance-ge.org/EssaiSPIP/spip.php, which was very interesting as initial introduction in Georgian cultural networks.
The visit to Georgia went beyond expectation. I must say thanks to our excellent guide Maia Simonia. In a cultural vortex we scanned the Georgian landscape, as far as this is possible in such a short time. As planned, we met many different and colourful people; we were invited in a very positive mood, a willingness and openness towards our small delegation.
The research opportunities were real. I think possible concrete realisations were balanced lightly and are still in process. We felt and discussed the enduring the ever presence of the power asymmetry between the superpower Russia and Georgia. And by all means this conflict is situated within the cultural field as well. It articulated the non-neutral cultural dialogue of the west with Georgia. But instead of just projecting my Dutch or Western European biased view and wishes; I opened up for possible new perspectives. (Not planned beforehand) A deep impact made the conversations with artists of the harmed (traumatic, lost) generation, who shifted through the ideological 1980s and 90s. Their dealings with problematic pasts and presents which I recognize, I’m inspired and challenged, even within this still narrow scope of peeping into the Georgian world in such a short time. I experienced this trip like a flashbulb experience. But Georgian ambiguity has a beauty which for sure develops in the future into more artistic research. To be continued.