Tbilisi Mural Fest: renowned European artists to turn city into “public exhibition space”
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Renowned street artists from European cities will bring their paints, tools and talent to Georgia for the first-ever Tbilisi Mural Fest, adding colours to urban scenes of the city starting next week.
The likes of El Bocho, CASE Maclaim and creative duo Quinte55enz have been booked to “transform Georgia’s capital into a public exhibition space” for ten days of the festival modelled on the Berlin Mural Fest.
Marking the connection and a joint effort from Tbilisi and Berlin city halls for supporting the inaugural edition, street artists involved in the festival will heavily feature Berlin-based creatives.
Quinte55enz, artistic name for Thomas Granseuer and Tomislav Topic, will represent the German capital with their signature murals bringing together space-altering shapes and graffiti style.
Space is the fundamental inspiration for Quinte55enz. Their work not only uses shapes and patterns found in architecture, it interferes with its environment, changing the spectators perception” — Tbilisi Mural Fest
The duo has become known for using full-facade spaces in industrial areas to arrange abstract shapes making use of ideas from “painting, moving image, and installation” (Tbilisi Mural Fest).
They will be joined in the line-up by El Bocho, another recognised creator of murals in Berlin known for his work on canvas hung on building surfaces as well as designs on tiles.
Featured in numerous exhibitions in the capital city, other European locations and beyond, the Spanish-born artist has also authored publications on street art, illustration and cover design.
Recipient of awards ranging from Society for News Design prize for newspaper illustrations to Golden Award of Montreux for project Go Beyond Borders with CNN International, he aims to create a “constant flow of communication” with viewers with his art.
Graffiti painter CASE Maclaim, known for combining photorealistic design with surrealist flavour, will also be in the artist roster for the Tbilisi event. He is recognised for his depiction of hands in detailed murals created using spray paint and a founder of Maclaim Crew collective representing photorealistic murals.
The creative, also known with his name Andres Von Chrzanowski, makes use of the style for achieving “the level of perfection his incredibly life-like graffiti possess” while symbolising notions of unity and power with the motif of hands.
These headlining artists are set to be joined by others in the festival which, beside the primary attraction of breathing new life into Tbilisi’s often drab concrete urban spaces, will hold meetings with the creatives as well as workshops for those interested in murals.
An open-air gig featuring Georgian artist Kordz will close the festival, which will run between September 17-25.