Europalia arts festival opens showcasing Georgian polyphony, remembrance, avant-garde
The 2023 edition of the festival was opened with an exhibition bringing together about 300 exhibits of 25 artists including painter Niko Pirosmani, a major figure of 20th century Georgian avant-garde, theatre designer Petre Otskheli, painters Lado Gudiashvili and Elene Akhvlediani and other celebrated artists. Photo: Ministry of Culture
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Europalia arts festival, a biennial multidisciplinary event highlighting artistic and cultural facets of select countries in its editions, opened on Wednesday with a highlight of Georgia’s tradition of polyphonic singing, remembrance of its traumatic historical events and the legacy of its avant-garde art scene in the first decades of the 20th century.
The 2023 edition of the festival was opened with an exhibition bringing together about 300 exhibits of 25 artists including painter Niko Pirosmani, a major figure of 20th century Georgian avant-garde, theatre designer Petre Otskheli, painters Lado Gudiashvili and Elene Akhvlediani and other celebrated artists.
Photo via Ministry of Culture
The exhibition showcased art pieces from both Georgian and foreign museums and private collections, addressing the topic of Georgia's avant-garde art scene between 1900-1936 - a subject highlighted in festivals and cultural events across Europe over the recent years due to the fascination with the historical period that produced small but lively cultural practice and figures in the country in the decades.
Europalia is back! ???????? Discover the europalia georgia programme here: https://t.co/dpXuzx8Mav pic.twitter.com/hNKnci0Xio
— europalia (@europalia_) September 21, 2023
The event also features performances of contemporary performers, from the internationally recognised pianist Khatia Buniatishvili to violinist Lisa Batiashvili and pianists Tsotne Zedginidze and Giorgi Gigashvili. Faces of Georgian polyphonic singing are represented by the Basiani ensemble, Gori Women’s Choir and the Georgian State Chamber Choir.
The festival showcases the supra feast tradition, with the Georgian-born and German-based author Nino Haratischwili staging the contemporary version of the tradition from a female perspective.
Photo via Ministry of Culture
The official opening of the festival was attended by the King and Queen of Belgium, Tea Tsulukiani, the Georgian Minister of Culture and former Justice Minister, Khatuna Totladze, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Chairwoman of the Georgian Parliament's EU Integration Committee, as well as Vakhtang Makharoblishvili, Georgia’s Belgium Ambassador, Victor Dolidze, the head of the Georgian mission to NATO, Baron Philippe Vlerick, the Chairman of the Europalia festival, Hadja Lahbib, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, and other invited guests.
Photo via Ministry of Culture
The programme of up to 60 events including film screenings, stage art performances, shows, exhibitions and literary presentations will run throughout Belgium until January 14.
The Europalia arts festival, a biennial multidisciplinary event highlighting artistic and cultural facets of select countries in its editions, will this year showcase Georgia through the country's tradition of polyphonic singing, remembrance of its traumatic historical events and the legacy of its avant-garde art scene in the first decades of the 20th century.
Contemporary art enthusiasts will have the opportunity to see Banksy: Birth of an Icon, a display curated by Steve Lazarides, at the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts in capital Tbilisi to mark the fifth anniversary of the venue later this month.
The Fondation Beyeler, the most visited museum of art in Switzerland, is hosting the exhibition of Georgia's iconic self-taught painter Niko Pirosmani, bringing his 46 works from different collections to the venue.
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.
The exhibition ‘Soie - Silk’, featuring the State Silk Museum collection, was opened on Saturday at the contemporary art gallery Les Drapiers in Belgium’s city of Liège, with Tbilisi’s one of the oldest museum collections brought outside Georgia for the first time.
The seventh edition of the Paris art festival ‘Un Week-end à l'Est’ will showcase Georgian diverse culture with the country’s capital city of Tbilisi being an honorary guest of the festival.
Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, the Queen of Belgium, on Tuesday visited the Europalia arts festival, a biennial event showcasing Georgian polyphony, remembrance and avant-garde art in its ongoing edition.
The Georgian National Tourism Administration on Friday said a “large-scale” campaign in Brussels, Belgium was promoting Georgia as a travel destination in the city’s public transport and airport.