Images are an inseparable part of the modern human experience, often even more prevalent than our reality. For those who came from age of the Soviet era, these images frequently carried a negative connotation. Portraits of leaders, propaganda posters, and ideological slogans cluttered the mental landscape.
The genesis of the “Overdrawing” series likely traces back to the late 1980s when I found myself erasing preexisting images and replacing them with new ones out of sheer necessity due to a lack of paper. The task was to erase and draw over the existing image.
The early 1990s witnessed a significant disposal of Lenin portraits, which I actively collected and purposefully and deliberately applied to them new images that I captivated my imagination. Over time, the themes and compositions underwent transformation as a consequence of this constant erasure and the need to adjust the composition.
It wasn’t long before I realized that these images, in their evolution, somehow mirrored the changes unfolding in society, life, the environment, and perhaps even the cosmos itself. The “Overdrawing” series remains an ongoing exploration, adapting to various formats dictated by the materials I choose to overwrite.
Guram Tsibakhashvili
This exhibition showcases a collection of canvases, collages, and objects created by the artist between 1988 and 1992. These works will be presented to the public for the very first time.
Guram Tsibakashvili’s artistic realm masterfully melds his individual perspective and stance towards Georgia’s historical past, while also serving as a protest against the entrenched Soviet-era ideologies and the “icons” of its leaders.
Guram Tsibakashvili is celebrated as one of the foremost figures in Georgian photography. In 1982, he earned his degree from the Faculty of Chemistry at Tbilisi State University, and from 1990 to 1994, he delved into the intricacies of photography theory.
As an outstanding artist, Tsibakashvili has left an indelible mark on the evolution of photography in Georgia and the wider Caucasus region. He played a pivotal role in founding key institutions such as the Caucasian Center for Cultural Development/Media Art Farm in 2000, which stands as the first higher-educational institution dedicated to photography in the Caucasus. Additionally, he contributed to the establishment of the Tbilisi Photographer’s House in 2007 and inaugurated the first “Photo Magazine” in the Caucasus in the same year.
Guram Tsibakashvili’s artistic journey has spanned numerous group exhibitions and solo shows, further solidifying his legacy. His artworks are at the collections of prestigious institutions like the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow, and Thessaloniki. They are also treasured in private collections scattered across Germany, the United States, Amsterdam, and Tbilisi.
