HERITAGE is a multi-media exhibition of five artists, brought together for the first time by cARTveli art foundation and Dash Arts supported by TBC Bank and Rich Mix in London.
The artists are Irakli Bugiani, Tato Akhalkatsishvili, Uta Bekaia, Cristian Tonheiser and Levan Mindiashvili who also acted as curator. All are firm friends; and four of them grew up through the formal independence of Georgia from the Soviet Union in 1991. Individually, they investigate how historical, social and cultural constructions feed and structure the ‘heritage’ of an individual. Some convey the disappointment, malfunction and stagnation of a nation, a homeland. Others remind us of what it means to be a human being with our identity shaped and reshaped by social and cultural experiences.
Levan Mindiashvili (1979-) has consistently explored issues of identity throughout his art practice. Born in Tbilisi, his work reflects upon the identity of his homeland, as it actively redefines itself in this post-Soviet climate; struggling with a disintegrated, and sometimes conflicting value system.
Irakli Bugiani (1980-) is a painter, exploring Soviet architecture to capture aspects of collective memory and the way in which the built environment can shape the psyche.
Tato Akhalkatsishvili (1979 -) explores the claustrophobic and the inescapable within his paintings, felt by many of his generation’s teenage years just before the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Uta Bekaia (1974-) works across art, design, theatre and film. He creates wearable sculptures for performances and multimedia installations. His approach is more universal and focuses on the cyclical nature of human experience.
Cristian Tonheiser (1966-) is a photographer and video artist born in Buenos Aires. Inspired by the Argentinian poet Alejandra Pizarnik, his installation focuses on the making or breaking of family ties.
cARTveli is a not for profit art foundation, established and run by three women to promote contemporary Georgian artists worldwide. Each individual project responds to the context of a new space, giving access to a range of Georgian art and ideas.