YARAT CENTRE: THE EQUINOX GROUP EXHIBITION

07 Dec - 27 Apr 24

YARAT Contemporary Art Space is pleased to announce a new group exhibition titled The Equinox presenting newly commissioned as well as recent works of Georgian artists Gia Edzgveradze, Tamara K.E., Luca Lazar, Konstantin Mindadze, Koka Ramishvili, Andro Semeiko, Levan Songulashvili.

VIRTUAL TOUR

Opening: December 7, 7:00 pm

Performance: 7:30 pm

Venue: YARAT Contemporary Art Centre

Exhibition duration: December 7, 2023 – April 27, 2024

The multidisciplinary exhibition The Equinox, brings together seven Georgian artists describing the cornerstone of the awareness of human identity, the path of consciousness formation from the late 20th to the beginning of the 21^st century in local and global perspectives.

The project unpacks a complex discourse of linked interactions, from the individual to the collective and vice versa, the impact of the individual experience on the collective experience and its impact on time-varying patterns. The exhibition is built on a dualistic principle, with reference to the interaction of light and darkness, and where the interaction of the individual and the collective is considered in the continuum.

The research presented in the exhibition is based on a series of lectures given by Georgian philosopher Merab Mamardashvili to students at Tbilisi State University's Faculty of Arts and Humanities (1984–1985). In the lectures, titled "Psychological Topology of the Path" (1997), the philosopher used time and life as central themes in the discourse based on Marcel Proust's novel "In Search of Lost Time”. The exhibition's title, “Equinox” is derived from the same lectures, in which Mamardashvili describes the place where the equilibrium of the expression of consciousness is obtained as an example of how darkness and light interact.

The exhibition starts with a symbol depicting the metamorphosis of the path of consciousness by representing the inner confrontation within a butterfly, referencing the effort and time for the pupa to obtain its wings. Further, the project reveals the triggering factors of this path, where the research of collective memory and experience takes on an important role. Here, too, the dualistic principle is underlined. On the one hand, geopolitical shifts, cultural observations, the connection to the past and its transformation over time, all play a significant role in the emergence of a sense of belonging. On the other hand, how identities transform and metamorphose in response to globalisation and technological shifts changes the cornerstone of consciousness. New forms arise, where the necessity for memory is lost and the phenomenon of cultural belonging becomes absurd.

The second part examines the continuum — the system through which the path of human consciousness passes. By studying the architecture of light (the gradation of yellow in black), reference is made to the phenomenon of the perception of information in consciousness (for the perception of light or impression, the receiver’s condition is under darkness and emptiness), and by the theory of relativity, the conditionality of perception of time and scale of human and collective consciousness is determined. The same principle determines the repetitive, massive processes in the world. With this aspect, there is a confrontation between individual and collective consciousness, coalescing into repetitive patterns or forming a different, singular path from where an individual act takes place.

The culmination of the exhibition is reached by the reverse discourse, unfolding a space that is impenetrable to the outside world, which also becomes real only through one’s own efforts, and on the contrary, becomes a catalyst for the structure of collective consciousness, generating new forms and changes in time.

The exhibition is curated by Tamuna Arshba and Tata Ksovreli

Notes to editors:

Exhibition: The Equinox, group exhibition

Location: YARAT Contemporary Art Centre (National Flag Square)

Dates: December 7, 2023 – April 27, 2024

Exhibition opens: Tuesday through Sunday, 12.00 – 20.00

For more information about the curators:
Tamuna Arshba (b. 1987) is an internationally renowned Georgian gallerist and curator. She received her BA from the American University of Humanities' Tbilisi branch's Faculty of Law and Diplomacy in 2008, and her MA from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations' Faculty of International Politics and Transnational Organizations in 2011. She attended Business School RMA in 2017 to study art management and gallery business. In 2017, Tamuna Arshba established the ERTI Gallery in Tbilisi. She is also the co-founder of the Gallery Window Project as of 2020. The Gallery Window Project's major goal is to promote cultural interchange, organize exhibitions around the world, and actively engage in the development of a strong cultural infrastructure and art community with long-term partnerships. As a curator, Tamuna held exhibitions in 2021-2022 in cooperation with the National Museum of Georgia and the National Gallery: Batumi Art Museum (2022); International Photo Biennale, Multimedia Art Museum (Moscow, 2021); Tbilisi Z. Tsereteli Museum of Modern Art (2019); Objectifs Center of Photography and Film (Singapore, 2019); and she has participated in the organization of international art fairs such as Art Geneve, Photo Basel, Art Berlin, Vienna Contemporary, NADA Miami, Art Dubai, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, and Zonamaco (upcoming). Tamuna also contributes to cultural awareness and promotion by publishing articles on famous artists in collaboration with international art critics.

Tata Ksovreli (b. 1988) has been working as the assistant director of the Zurab Tsereteli Museum of Modern Art, the head of the department of exhibition programs, and the head of the department of public relations since 2014. In 2011, she graduated from Tbilisi State Art Academy named after Apollon Kutateladze, then studied public relations and marketing communications at GEPRA. Tata Ksovreli was assistant curator of Zurab Tsereteli's solo exhibition “Larger than Life” held at the Saatchi Gallery (London) in 2019 and is also the organizer of many exhibitions as a curator: the cartoon exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the magazine “Crocodile (Niangi)” (2023); the spring exhibition of the Union of Georgian Artists (2023); the group exhibition of students of the State Art Academy (2022); Lia Shvelidze's solo exhibition “The Gaze” (2021); Luca Lazar's solo exhibition “81-21” (2021); Mamuka Tsetskhladze's solo exhibition “Cities” (2020); and the solo exhibition of Saloma Rigwawa (2017).

For more information about the artists:

Gia Edzgveradze (b. 1953) is a renowned Georgian-born artist based in Europe, known for his multidisciplinary artistic endeavours. He is a visual artist, author, educator, and public figure, with a particular focus on sound, music, and performance. Additionally, Edzgveradze is actively involved in organising cultural events and exhibitions. Since relocating to the West in 1988, he has been extensively exhibiting his work, with notable solo shows including ‘The Cool and the Cold’ at Gropius Bau, Berlin, and ‘The Charm of the Surface and the Grammar of the Abyss’ at Shin Gallery, New York (2023).Additionally, Edzgveradze has actively participated in group shows and staged performances at prominent institutions such as Museum Fridericianum (Kassel), Dumont Kunsthalle (Cologne), Ludwig Forum (Aachen), Mappin Art Gallery (Sheffield), Arnolfini (Bristol), Daimler Collection (Stuttgart), Haus der Kunst (Munich), Museum of Modern Art (Stuttgart), Neue Nationalgalerie (Berlin), Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen (Dusseldorf), The State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg), Museum für Neue Kunst ZKM (Karlsruhe), Institute of Contemporary Art (Detroit), MuseuMAfrikA (Johannesburg), the 47th Venice Biennale (Russian Pavilion), Tate Gallery (St. Ives), Museum of Contemporary Art (Budapest), De Appel Foundation (Amsterdam), Ludwig Museum (Budapest), Sprengel Museum (Hanover), NCCA National Centre of Contemporary Art (Moscow), and Trieste Contemporanea (Trieste). For his significant contributions to the arts, Edzgveradze received The Order of Honour from The State of Georgia in 1998, a recognition of his accomplishments and impact on the cultural landscape.

Andro Semeiko (b.1975) a Georgian-born, London-based artist, creates paintings, installations, and artist's books based on research into history, art history, literature, and psychology. His paintings and "expanded painting" installations explore ways of communicating through language, text, calligraphy, automatic writing, doodling, drawing, performance, and dance. Semeiko's work seeks to record and create psychological spaces, with a particular focus on the socio-political aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Semeiko has shown his works at the Royal Academy of Arts, Camden Arts Centre, PEER, Whitechapel Gallery, Gasworks, Saatchi Gallery, Holburne Museum, CFCCA, The Lowry, BALTIC 39, Museum of Contemporary Art (Wroclaw), Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Seoul Museum of Art, and international art exhibitions including Expander Painting, Prague Biennial 4 (Czech Republic) and 3rd Tbilisi Triennial (Georgia). His awards and fellowships include Kunstanjer from the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds 2000, British Institution Award from the RA Summer Exhibition 2004, Berwick Fellowship from the English Heritage 2009, and Abbey Fellowship in Painting at the British School at Rome 2022-23.

Tamara K.E. (b.1971) is a Georgian-born German artist. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, and Kunstakademie Dusseldorf, where she graduated in 2004. Since 2010, K.E. has lived and worked in Brooklyn and Dusseldorf. The artist is best known for both her radical, socio-critical conceptual paintings, as well her recent works. She experiments widely with visual idioms and technical possibilities. Tamara K.E.'s recent solo shows include: 'Regret' at Window Project, Tbilisi (2022); 'The Piquantries' at Beck&Eggeling Gallery, Düsseldorf; 'Explaining Hare He was Never Here' at Aurel Scheibler Gallery, Berlin (2021); ‘Ink Under the Skin’ at Aurel Scheibler Gallery, Berlin (2020); '5 minutes random love' at B&E Contemporary, Düsseldorf (2019); 'Language Down the Drain' at B&E Contemporary, viennacontemporary (2018). She has exhibited at the 50th Venice Biennale and 1st Prague Biennial, Haus Huth, Daimler Contemporary (Berlin), Sprengel Museum (Hanover), Whitechapel Gallery (London), Central House of Artists (Moscow), Cobra Museum (Amsterdam), Van der Heydt Museum (Wuppertal,) Kunsthalle Hamburg and elsewhere. K.E. has won a number of art awards, including the Kunstpreis der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken (Germany), the UBS Art Award for Young Art (Switzerland), and The European Prize for Painting (Belgium). K.E.’s work can be found in number of public and private art collections. Her work is included in '100 Painters of Tomorrow,' published by Thames & Hudson in 2014. K.E. has lectured and held workshops at: Goldsmiths University of London, Kunstakademie Kassel, Berlin University of the Arts, New York Studio Residency Program, Rutgers University (New Brunswick, USA), Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, and Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.

Konstantin Mindadze (b.1977) is a multimedia artist based in Amsterdam and Tbilisi. The artist studied at Graphic Lyceum and Rietveld Academy. His artistic activity started with the destruction of works made during studies. The synthetic structure of the world, mental and biological reactions, lifecycle and death, existence and transience, love and loss, destruction and transformation, globalisation and technologies, fears and religions, consumerism and commercialism, historical facts and processes of decay are the basic themes to which the artist often returns. Mindadze’s recent exhibitions include: ‘Life Forms Hard-core and Transient’ at Gamrekeli Modern, Tbilisi (2023); ‘Matters of Dark and Irresistible’ at MOMA Tbilisi (2019); ‘Life Forms’ at TBC Bank, Tbilisi (2016); ‘Hyper-position’ (Installation to Sculpture with sound) featuring Manuchar Oqroscvaridze at National Museum of Art, Tbilisi (2013). He is a member of Artists and Curators association Arti et Amicitiae. He also is the founder of CAI (Contemporary Art Industry) in Georgia.

Luca Lazar, (b.1957) is an accomplished, award-winning artist with a long-standing track record based in the US and Georgia. Lazar studied at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. He is interested in exploring structures, rhythms, information perception, systems, and social utopias. Lazar works on paintings, installations, and video art. He was a part of a minority in the Georgian artists’ generation in 1970-80s. He decided to move to Moscow, where he briefly joined the underground avant-garde art movement, which had sprung up during the early years of «Glasnost» and «Perestroika». Following his time in Moscow, Lasareishvili was invited to spend a year as an artist-in-residence in Paris, followed by a similar invitation by the Museum Fridericianum in Kassel (Germany). This led to his eventual 15 year stay in Germany, followed by his departure for the United States. He has been living in New York since 2003. His artworks are part of internationally renowned museums including Museum Ludwig, Aachen collection (Germany), Documenta Archive Museum Fridericianum, Kassel (Germany), Gallery de France (Paris), Zimmerli Art Museum, NJ (USA), National Tretiakov Gallery, Moscow (Russia), Henry Nannen Museum, Emdem (Germany), Leopold Hoish Museum, Duren (Germany), and State Art Museum (Tbilisi).

Levan Songulashvili (b. 1991) is a contemporary Georgian artist based in New York and Tbilisi, known for his conceptual work, technique and style that blur the lines between representation and abstraction. Levan received classical training at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, earning a bachelor’s degree, and holds an MFA with distinction from the New York Academy of Art, where he concentrated on painting and was awarded the Portrait Scholarship Award and Full-Tuition Academic Scholarship of the International Education Centre. He works in a range of mediums, including painting, drawing, printmaking, site-specific installation, and video. In 2020, Levan was named a ‘Forbes 30 Under 30’ honoree. Prior to this, Songulashvili was awarded ‘The Best Creative Work of the Year 2017’ and held the title of ‘Artist of the Year.’ In 2023 Levan became the winner of London’s Global Talent Art Prize. Levan’s works are part of notable public and private collections worldwide, including the permanent collections of Brooklyn Museum, Tbilisi Museum of Contemporary Art, Georgian Museum of Fine Arts, Adjara State Art Museum, BREUS Foundation, and Museum of the Rustaveli National Theater. The artist’s site-specific installations, paintings, murals and video works have been showcased internationally, including The Royal Academy of Arts, Brooklyn Museum, National Gallery Georgia, Sotheby’s, Saatchi Gallery, MoMA Tbilisi, OBJECTIFS Singapore. Songulashvili was invited to work on collaborative projects with Giya Kancheli (2019), Issey Miyake and Yuriko Takagi (2018), and Iggy Pop and Jeremy Deller (2016). Songulashvili’s recent solo exhibitions include: ‘Noli Me Tangere’ Presidential Palace, Georgia (2023); ‘Ad Infinitum’, Factory Tbilisi during the “Culture Week Tbilisi” organised by Window Project (2022); ‘Noli Me Tangere’, Batumi Art Museum, presented by Window Project (2022); ‘Triptychos’ at Tbilisi National Gallery, curated by Basak Senova , co-curated by Lela Tsitsuashvili, and presented by Window Project (2021).

Koka Ramishvili (b. 1956) lives and works in Geneva. After studying film and industrial design at the Academy of Art and Architecture in Tbilisi (1975-1980), Ramishvili turned to "documentary" photography in the 1990s, focusing on historical events related to the dissolution of the USSR and the Georgian coup (‘War from My Window’, 1991-1992). It is particularly from the 2000s and his arrival in Switzerland that Ramishvili's work becomes multidirectional, corresponding not only to social actions or political issues (‘Pronostic Eventuel’, 1997-2000), but also to more intimate projects. His practice gradually becomes more refined, revealing the artist's reflections on the phenomenology of perception. Koka Ramishvili represented Georgia at the Venice Biennale in 2009. His works have been shown in numerous cultural institutions such as the Tate Modern (London), MAMCO (Geneva), Goethe Institute (Berlin), Musée des Beaux-Arts (Nantes), Museum Folkwang (Essen), M KHA Contemporary (Antwerp), Musée des Beaux-Arts (Nancy) and the Cobra Museum (Amsterdam). He has also participated in the International Documentary and Animation Film Festival in Leipzig, and the Cairo Biennial.