Europalia fest showcasing Georgia’s history, culture “great honour” - PM

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said the showcase of Georgia’s “ancient history and rich culture” through exhibitions, shows, theatre performances and literary evenings of this year’s Europalia arts festival in Brussels was a “great honour” for the country.

In his comments at an event marking the selection of Georgia as the focus country for this year’s edition of the festival, which will run in the autumn, Garibashvili said the country’s culture had “never been presented abroad on such a comprehensive scale”.

This makes it an excellent opportunity for us to introduce one of the oldest histories and cultures to Brussels and many other beautiful cities of Belgium and beyond”, he said, stressing the importance of the event in light of the country’s efforts to join the European Union.

In comments on the history of the country’s art scene and figures over the decades, the head of the Government also highlighted its capital Tbilisi as “one of the most important hubs” of modernist and avant-garde art during the “great political, cultural and social changes” in the world in the early decades of the 20th century.

Modern Georgian theatre, cinema, opera, ballet, fine arts, literature and poetry are still not widely known to a bigger part of the world, and it is our privilege of our generation to share it with all of you”, he told the audience of the event.

He also noted stories of the ancient history of the country’s kingdoms, from their links to the Golden Fleece legend of the Argonauts to the pioneering figures of the country’s history whose contributions “withstood many disasters of history and managed not only to survive, but also to present to the world many masterpieces of its architecture, goldsmithing and literature”.

Among the latter, he highlighted the national poet Shota Rustaveli and his widely acknowledged 12th century poem The Knight in the Panther’s Skin, which he said contributed to the “formation of Georgia’s worldview” and helped the country preserve its unique language.

Three written systems of the Georgian alphabet are today part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity", the official said.

Garibashvili also told the audience the international scientific community had recognised the findings of the earliest traces of winemaking, discovered in the modern Georgian territory over the recent decades and dating back 8,000 years.

The Georgian PM also highlighted the 2013 inscription of the traditional kvevri wine storage method from Georgia on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in his comments marking the selection of the country for the focus of the 2023 festival.

This year’s edition of Europalia will showcase Georgia through the country's tradition of polyphonic singing, remembrance of its traumatic historical events and the legacy of its early 20th century avant-garde art scene between October and January.