My Sister Named…

My Sister Named…
22nd March – 24th May, 2024
L’Atlas Gallery
4 Cour de l’Île Louviers
17 bd Morland, Paris 4e

The group exhibition titled ‘My Sister Named…’ presented by Gallery Artbeat offers a
compelling exploration into the interconnected themes of fluidity, transition, immigration and identity within the Georgian context. A Group show featuring the works of Tamuna Chabashvili, Ana Gzirishvili, Tamo Jugeli, Nina Kintsurashvili, Keti Kapanadze, Anna K.E., Ema Lalaeva-Ediberidze, Maia Naveriani, Vera Pagava, Elene Shatberashvili, Tamuna Sirbiladze and Nato Sirbiladze.

Within the exhibition space, each artist crafts autonomous realms that engage in a fluid dialogue with space, time, and each other. Through diverse mediums such as painting, collage, drawing, video, and installation, the artists invite viewers to immerse themselves in an exploration of Georgian cultural context across different historical periods.

It’s crucial to highlight that the context of migration serves as a unifying thread, connecting artists across nearly every generation. Through a curated selection of works by prominent women artists spanning multiple generations, the exhibition provides a nuanced examination of identity, societal shifts and personal narratives. The curatorial decision draws inspiration from Zygmunt Bauman’s theoretical framework on modernity.

In the ‘Solid State’ section, established women artists from earlier generations delve into traditional notions of stability and fixed identities, capturing the enduring essence of solid modernity through mediums such as painting. Modernist figures like Vera Pagava and Ema Lalaeva- Ediberidze stand alongside artists who navigated the challenges of the Soviet period and offer insights into the social structures and cultural traditions that define the solid phase of modernity, while also acknowledging its inherent limitations.

The transition phase, represented in the ‘Melting Solid’ section, marks the dissolution of traditional norms and the emergence of a more fluid and uncertain reality. Women artists navigate this period of flux, reflecting on themes of transition, identity flux, and the erosion of boundaries. Figures such as Tamuna Chabashvili, Keti Kapanadze, Maia Naveriani, and Tamuna Sirbiladze symbolize the intensive migration of Georgian creators to Western artistic spaces during the transitional period, challenging established hierarchies and exploring new conceptual territories.

Nato Sirbiladze represents a relatively older generation that didn’t emigrate abroad. She’s emblematic of this period, having lived through the Soviet era and commenced her work in the 1990s, a time when everything in the local area was collapsing Finally, the exhibition culminates in the ‘Liquid State’, where contemporary women artists
offer insights into the fluid nature of human existence in the era of liquid modernity.

Nina Kintsurshvili, Elene Shatberashvili, Ana Gzirishvili, Anna K.E., and Tamo Jugeli,
representing the new generation, embody the fluidity of contemporary identities amidst Georgia’s transition from colonialism to nationhood. Their works explore themes of connectivity, fragmentation, and resilience, capturing the constant flux of identities in a rapidly changing contexts.

My Sister Named… opens on the 22nd of March until 24th May, 2024 at L’Atlas Gallery

©2024 Gallery Artbeat