KOLGA TBILISI PHOTO FESTIVAL 2019
By Anita Magradze
Friday, May 3
“KOLGA TBILISI PHOTO” will open in Tbilisi for the 19th time on May 3. The capital of Georgia will once again host various local and international exhibitions .
Within the framework of the festival an exhibition “90'x Collective – Stolen Stories” will take place.
90’x is a collective of children of the ’90s, the generation that grew up after the collapse of the Soviet Union and this is the influence which appears in their projects.
“90’x Collective” presents 4 personal “stolen” stories, from the beginning of the ’90s till today. These are the particular motives that influenced artists to create artworks:
Toma Sukhashvili will be presenting the story about his mother and Georgian flag. How can the most sacred national object lose its cost and under the influence the socio-economic situation become a daily necessity?
Nino-Ana Samkharadze uses a personal photo-archive which unites portraits of the most important people for her. Her narrative passes into a botanical narrative, as when it comes to telling about the people in the photographs, she uses flowers.
Giorgi Rodionov presents a constant question - "what is art?" But the story tells the history of a lady living in the outskirt of Tbilisi. Mrs. Lamara cannot imagine why is it impossible that photos of her published in social media can be left unsold when she sees similar photos in the "art market". The photographer wants to prove to Mrs. Lamara that it is possible.
Mano Svanidze was paralyzed and forced to lay in bed for months after a car accident and her main entertainment became TV shows. That was the time when she lost a clear understanding of which story was the "real life" story. Her project is dedicated to this issue and combines episodes of the TV show with the everyday life of the artist.
Each year "KOLGA TBILISI PHOTO" is hosting workshops, seminars, discussions and portfolio reviews free of charge to support the further promotion of the art of photography as one of the new media forms among Georgians and to advance them in their development. Its purpose is to not only identify winners but to also connect Georgia with international photography and promote the professional development of local photographers.
Announcement of the Photo Award worldwide – in Europe as well as in the USA – intends to foster its international position.
This year’s categories include:
1. Documentary Series
2. Reportage
3. Conceptual Photo Project
4. Best One Shot
5. Best Portrait
6. Mobile Photo Series
The festival is held with the support of Tbilisi City Hall, Georgian National Tourism Administration, ARDI insurance company, British, and others.
In previous years the festival hosted various exhibitions, including: “Iran, an open portfolio”; “Four women in Kabul, their struggles and their dreams”; “Views on Africa”; “Ladies Only”; “Breaking the ice” and many others.
