Georgian theatre design students awarded Prague Quadrennial prize for display

Stage design students from Georgia have claimed an award at this year's Prague Quadrennial, promoted as the largest scenography event in the world, after exhibiting their work connecting Georgian history with the theme of the major exhibition.

As winners of the quadrennial were revealed by organisers this week, the eight emerging designers were among them with their project Medea/Media, casting refugees and visitors as protagonists in their "real/virtual theatre".

The Georgian student exhibition is based on the historical and mythological roots of contemporary Georgia and at the same time is linked to the PQ 2019 theme."

Emerging designers from Georgia are creating imaginary new reality on the bases of historical and personal memory" - Prague Quadrennial.

The young Georgian designers worked on linking historical themes and narratives to this year's theme of the quadrennial with their work. Photo: Alžběta Jungrová.

Taking an ancient mythological character of Medea, a young woman in western Georgia's Black Sea kingdom of Colchis, the artists developed an "imaginary new reality on the bases of historical and personal memory" related to the country.

The involved creatives for the project were  Nanka Esiava, Nina Jandieri, Mariam Khachapuridze, Tiko Megrelishvili, Mari Nakani, Giorgi Orakhelashvili, Ilia Sajaia and Sofia Sharia.

Their work, curated by Ketevan Shavgulidze, was awarded the Best Student Exhibition Experience Award in Prague, while the exhibition of stage design will be on through June 16.

Georgia was represented richly at the event held every four years, with items and videos from acclaimed productions - from Pillow Man by director David Doiashvili to Women of Troy by Data Tavadze and ANTImedea by Guram Matskhonashvili - on show at the exhibition grounds.

Another exposition for the Georgian pavilion at the quadrennial, titled Open Circle, is designed to share a “reflection on traumas a post-conflict society” to viewers.

The national corner in Prague also plays host to works from three generations of Georgian theatre designers.

The theme for this year's event was inspired by the principal prize of the quadrennial, the Golden Triga, taking the three forces pulling a chariot in the physical award as a metaphor for phases of creative process: Imagination, Transformation and Memory.

Hundreds of events in the quadrennial highlight design from nearly 80 countries as the celebration of theatre art hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors at its editions, a reflection of its status since its founding in 1967.