European artists disrupt conventional views in Tbilisi exhibition

Visitors of the Ioseb Grishashvili Tbilisi History Museum in Georgia’s capital will be invited to an exhibition exploring convention and deviation through contemporary works by European artists starting next week.

Opening on March 15, the display somewhat different. Contemporary Design and the Power of Convention will showcase exhibits by dozens of Europe-wide creators at the venue.

Selected by curator Volker Albus, over 140 works by the participating artists will be put on display at the museum also known as Karvasla.

A 1997 work by German designer Ingo Maurer. Photo: Tom Vak/Ingo Maurer GmbH.

The curated exhibits will include works by German lighting designer Ingo Maurer, who has been honoured with Germany’s Federal Design Award.

Dutch industrial designer Hella Jongerius and Design Plus Award-winning interior designer Werner Aisslinger will also be part of the roster of artists for the event.

Their featured artwork will seek to illustrate diversity of contemporary design and review included objects "in terms of function, materials, construction and content references”, said a release by organisers.

Artwork by Dutch industrial designer Hella Jongerius will be part of the display. Photo: Bob Goodewaagen/JongeriusLab.

The description of the upcoming display’s theme said the involved artists challenged conventional understanding of "generic terms” of everyday objects.

The designs do not only provoke astonishment, but challenge one to reflect on general expectations, codes of behaviour as well as the referential context of firmly established notions, and to review traditional fixations”, read a summary of the display by Germany’s Institute of Foreign Relations (IfA).

The institute, working as Germany’s agency for international cultural and educational relations, said the display demonstrated "far-reaching socio-cultural changes which we currently witness in all areas of our daily lives”.

Karvasla visitors will be able to view work by award-winning interior designer Werner Aisslinger. Photo: Marino Ramazotti/Zanotta spa.

Presented by the IfA and organised in Tbilisi by the Goethe Institute Georgia, the Karvasla exhibition is designed to be part of the 2017 Germany-Georgia Friendship Year.

The year-long program of cultural and educational events aims to celebrate 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Opening on March 15 with its curator in attendance, the display will run through April 15.