Fest I Nova art festival to open with work by US duo ICY and SOT
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A new work by United States-based stencil artist duo ICY and SOT will open this year’s edition of Fest I Nova International Contemporary Art Festival in Art Villa Garikula in central Georgia tomorrow.
The internationally recognised duo will present their work Friend of Nature/Enemy of Nature at the popular artistic location, situated 60km north-west of capital Tbilisi.
Their mirror installation will be "in direct communication with nature” in the creators’ portrayal of effects of the contemporary global society on natural environment.
The two artists have become known for their stencil work in the US and abroad. Photo: Art Villa Garikula/Facebook.
The New York-based artists of Iranian descent are known in the US and beyond with their work on human rights, political issues and environmental matters.
Working on murals, art interventions, installations and more, the two brothers hail from Tabriz, Iran but emigrated to the US after their maiden exhibition was closed by authorities in their home country.
ICY and SOT have been involved in stencil art since 2006 and featured by art publications including Huck Magazine and Complex.
Their work will open the 9th edition of 2017 Fest I Nova event, followed by a performance by Georgian artist Uta Bekaia on June 1.
ICY and SOT have featured themes of politics and activism in their work. Photo: Art Villa Garikula/Facebook.
Other artists will also present their works within the festival, which this year is themed on Elements of Communication.
The event will be held at Art Villa Garikula, a creative spot for many of Georgia’s contemporary artists.
Built as a summer family residence by Polish engineer Vasili Bolgarsky in 1885, the chateau was taken over by Soviet authorities after the takeover of Georgia and handed over initially to a kindergarten and then to the State Academy of Arts.
In 2000 an initiative by Georgian painter Karaman Kutateladze saw the residence became an art commune venue.
The 19th century Garikula chateau has become the customary location for Fest I Nova. Photo: Art Villa Garikula/Facebook.
Since then it has housed a variety of gatherings of Georgian and foreign creative artists and become a customary location for Fest I Nova, an annual festival named after Brothers Kirill and Ilia Zdanevich, two of the 20th century Georgia’s prominent avant-garde artists.
Photos of residence and creative work by local and foreign artists at Art Villa Garikula can be viewed on the official Instagram profile of the festival.
Creative thinkers, art enthusiasts and interested persons are invited to submit their artistic projects for this year's contemporary art festival Fest I Nova.
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