Fest i Nova: anniversary festival to mark centennial of Caucasian republics

The centennial of the founding of the three democratic republics of the South Caucasus is about to be marked by a special edition of the contemporary art festival Fest i Nova in central Georgia.

Simultaneously celebrating the 10th anniversary edition of the annual art event, artists, curators, critics and visitors will have a programme of for day-long activities and events on Saturday.

In a nod to the anniversary of proclamations of independence by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the late 1910s, the festival’s theme and focus will be freedom.

Artist Lado Darakhvelidze’s 2016 work ‘The Caucasian History Lesson’. Photo: Fest i Nova.

Visual artists and musicians from across the region will display and perform at the Art Villa Garikula — a 19th century chateau turned into art commune for the festival.

At the venue, located 60km north-west of the capital Tbilisi, folk music ensembles, experimental musicians and painters will await visitors with their art.

In addition, unpublished literary works from the region’s historical authors will be read in the three languages of the celebrated countries.

While most of the shows of the celebration will take place at the Garikula spot, some events will also be hosted in the southern town of Akhalkalaki.

Sketches by urban artists will be exhibited within this year’s festival. Photo: Levan Adikashvili.

Creatives involved in the double anniversary occasion will include Anne Baumann, Andro Eradze, Ensemble "Kamilia”, Lado Darakhvelidze, Ara Petrosyan, Ashug artist Nargile Mehtiyeva and Naschkatze Duo of contemporary Azeri experimental music.

Beside performance events and displays, visitors driving to the festival locations will be welcomed to a flea market, a sale of sketches by urban artists in , and more.

Historical material used in the festival’s themed displays and events has been selected by organisers from archives of Georgia’s State Museum of Literature.

Curated by Group Bouillon and Lali Pertenava, the theme Freedom of Castaways — the Caucasus is organised for the Fest i Nova edition by painter Karaman Kutateladze and Art Villa Garikula director Jaba Mujiri.

The Naschkatze Duo of experimental music from Azerbaijan. Photo: Fest i Nova.

Kutateladze was the artist who oversaw a transformation of the neglected Garikula estate — originally built by Tbilisi-based Polish engineer Vasili Bolgarsky in 1885 as his summer residence — in 2000.

With volunteering effort from Academy of Arts students as well as local and foreign architects the estate was brought back in shape and had its main building restored.

The villa has since hosted local and visiting artists who stay at the venue while working on their projects, while also becoming the venue for the annual Fest i Nova event.