Yearly Archives: 2013

An international interdisciplinary conference “Pirosmani and Georgian Culture” dedicated to the artist’s 150th anniversary was held in the George Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation on November 5-7, 2013. It was organized by the Chubinashvili Centre, under the aegis of the UNESCO, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Protection of Monuments of Georgia and the participation of leading institutions of culture.

Besides Georgian scientists, researchers from the USA, the UK, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of France took part in the conference. Main themes of the conference were the artist’s biography, an attribution and expertize of his works, his image in different branches of art, a research methodology and Georgian culture of the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries.

The George Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art and Heritage Preservation with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Protection of Monuments and Tbilisi State Academy of Art realized a project: “An Exhibition of a Unique Collection of Rene Schmerling’s Ex-librises (the 30s 0f the 19^th and 20^th cc) and a Discussion Round Table about the Issues of Georgian Graphic Art” (October 15-30, 2013). The gathering was dedicated to the jubilee date of the 110^th anniversary of well-known graphic artists – Lado Grigolia and Nikoloz Chernishkov.

On October 15, 2013, in the exhibition hall of the George Chubinashvili Centre there was organized an exhibition, where an ex-libris collection of a famous Georgian scientist Rene Schmerling was represented. The collection is kept in the archives of this organization and includes more than two hundred best samples of Georgian, Armenian, Russian and European unique ex-librises from the 19^th to the 30s of the 20^th century.

Also, the exposition included Lado Grigolia’s several typefaces of fonts, the miniatures and the patterns of easel etchings of N. Chernishkov and the book marks executed by the students of Tbilisi Academy of Art especially for this event (teachers: Loretta Shengelia-Abashidze and Gogi Tsereteli).

In the frames of this gathering a conference was held on October 16. A leading scientist of the George Chubinashvili Centre, Doctor of art history, Prof. Dimitri Tumanishvili spoke about Rene Schmerling as a researcher, her wide interests and the priceless contribution she had made in the history of Georgian culture.

One of the participants of the project, a senior researcher of the same centre, Dr. Marina Medzmariashvili spoke about Nikoloz Chernishkov’s creative work and presented to the society not only his works kept in the collection of Rene Schmerling, but also all the material that she could find so far.

Ms M. Japaridze, the heiress of the national artist of Georgia, the Rustaveli Prize winner Lado Grigolia, spoke about his creative work.
The organizer of the project, a senior researcher of the G. Chubinashvili Centre Dr. Mariam Gachechiladze spoke about the origins and development of ex-libris in general, analyzed Rene Schmerling’s unique collection and the history of development of Georgian ex-libris from the beginning (18^th c) to our days.
In the end there was a discussion in which the graphic artists, students and guests took part.
The subject of the discussion was the problems existing in the modern Georgian book graphic: problematic issues of the development of printing, computer and artistic font, ornament and ex-libris. The participants discussed the ways of solving these problems and outlined future plans.

The George Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation represents Georgia in the project “LIMEN, Cultural Ports from Aegean to the Black Sea”, co-funded by the European Union, by the Black Sea Basin Joint Operational Programme “Black Sea 2007-2013” and by national resources and coordinated by the E.K.B.M.M.

The partners of the project are: the Istanbul and Koc Universities (Turkey), the Municipality of Kavala (Greece), the Museum for National History and Archaeology from Constanta (Romania), the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Odessa City Council (Ukraine), the Municipality of Varna (Bulgaria). The project is supported by: the “Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation” (BSEC) and “Business Council of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation” (BSECBC); the “Black and Azov Seas Ports Association”(BASPA); the “International Black Sea Club” (IBSC).

The aim of the “LIMEN” project is to decisively contribute to addressing an important gap in the development of cultural tourism in the wider Black Sea area. Using the experience from the institution of the European Capital of Culture, the special objective/aim of the project is the establishment of a new institution, the “Black Sea Cultural Port”, in order:

• to become the “umbrella action” for all the cross-border and transnational development initiatives that concern the cities-ports in the Black

Sea basin

• to create a development platform that, in economic and cultural terms, will ensure the equal and sustainable cooperation which will meet the contemporary needs
• to promote the cultural value of these areas and to connect the past with the current economic scenery
• to promote the tourism product by developing an institutionalized model of cooperation, characterized by parity between the participant city- ports
• to support the tourism and other enterprises in the promotion process of special tourism products of each area, especially those connected with the ports and the sea routes.

For the promotion and support of the proposed institution of the “Cultural Port of the Black Sea” at local levels, the project LIMEN envisages the establishment of the local networks of stakeholders in each participant country.

On July 30-31 in the exhibition hall of the G. Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation an exhibition has been arranged, dedicated to the cultural heritage of Abkhazia, historic part of the Georgia (West Georgia) that is under threat at present due to the incorrect restorations and vandalism. The exhibition reflected the problem related to the present condition of Abkhazia, that is now under Russian occupation  Many monuments are  rebuilt and changed, many historical evidences (e.g. wall painting with the portrait of Bagrat III, First king of the United Georgia, has been deliberately destroyed.

The  Exhibition was arranged by the  student organization ” Youth for Art”, chairman Levan Amiranashvili.

The launching of the exhibition was attended by the representative of the Ministry of Culture of Georgia Mr. Matsaberidze, Culture Attaché  of the USA Embassy to Georgia Ms. J. Petrova, Director of Studies of the Centre Dr. D. Tumanishvili, , Scholars of the Centre, representatives of the Tbilisi State Academy of Art, students etc.