Georgian artist for Art Dubai 2018 Residents Program
By Mariam Chanishvili
Tuesday, March 20
Georgian Contemporary Artist, Tato Akhalkatsishvili from Tbilisi’s Erti Gallery has been chosen as one of the eleven international artists in the Residents 2018 program of this year’s Art Dubai.
He will work within a new residency program of the high-profile Art Dubai fair and display his work at this year’s event starting next month.
“[The program will encourage] artists to immerse themselves in the local art scene to create a body of work, which merges their distinct artistic practice with their surroundings,” reads a release by Art Dubai.
For its 12th edition, Art Dubai introduces a new gallery program dedicated to solo presentations from invited galleries, whose artists will take part in a residency. The program will take place in the UAE.
Residents 2018 will present an intimate selection of 11 solo gallery presentations by artists from around the world.
The program aims to support artists by providing a platform to develop their practice and create new work inspired and influenced by their stay in the UAE. Framed within a unique geographical and cultural context, Residents further aims to facilitate exchange and dialogue between artists, local communities and the broader cultural landscape.
Akhalkatsishvili will be taking part in the program along with the artists from different locations including Denmark, Japan and the United States.
“IS YOUR BODY A HEAVEN” is the newest series of works by Tato, in which the artist intends to continue work at the Dubai art residency.
Born in 1979, Tbilisi, Georgia, Akhalkatsishvili graduated from Tbilisi Academy of Arts in 2003. Afterwards, he moved to Germany where he lived and worked in Cologne. In 2008, the artist decided to go back to Georgia.
He works in painting, in addition to creating objects, installations and collages. Akhalkasishvili expresses important issues and concepts with the help of different metaphors. Childhood is one of the primary themes in his art. He portrays childhood memories, the perks of human existence. The artist always develops his works in a series.
He has had various solo exhibitions, participated in group exhibitions and art fairs, including ART GENEVE 2018, Vienna Contemporary 2017, VILNIUS 15 International Contemporary Art Fair, etc.
Erti Gallery is based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Its main goal is to create various opportunities for Georgian artists’ self-expression. Big importance is given to discovering, promoting and building long lasting collaborations between artists, collectors, museums and more cultural institutions.
