MARJANISHVILI QUARTER: CORRELATIONS OF ARCHITECTURE, POLITICS, AND IDENTITIES
Exhibition / 2nd Tbilisi Architecture Biennale / Tbilisi (15.10.2020 – 13.01.2021)
EN
"Jaurès (currently Marjanishvili) Street is the busiest street of all. It connects the two parts of the city, divided by a river - and demands more attention". Galaktion Tabidze, 1939
The project MARJANISHVILI QUARTER was specifically conceptualized for the 2nd Tbilisi Architecture Biennial and focuses on the area that today, as well as historically, is recognised as the centre of the left bank of Tbilisi. Its origins go back to the 19th century, when the German settlement was founded northwest of Tbilisi. The exhibition shows historical, critical, ironic and poetic aspects of this place through different contexts and media. Among other things, the project contains materials of the alteration project of the Marjanishvili district in the 1980s and 1990s, which come from my private architecture archive.
Marjanishvili district is still developing. The residents and the urban space are going through changes. Different realities and habits reveal themselves; a mood of departure emerges. In temporal as well as spatial representations it is shown what constitutes the coexistence of the people of this district – what do we have in common?
CURATOR: Irina Kurtishvili
DE
"Die Jaurès-Straße (derzeit Marjanishvili) ist die belebteste Straße von allen. Sie verbindet die beiden Stadtteile, die durch einen Fluss getrennt sind - und verlangt mehr Aufmerksamkeit". Galaktion Tabidze, 1939
Das Projekt MARJANISHVILI QUARTER wurde für die 2. Architekturbiennale in Tiflis konzipiert und bezieht sich auf das Viertel, das als Zentrum des linken Ufers von Tiflis gilt. Die Entstehung dieses Viertels geht auf das 19. Jahrhundert zurück, als eine deutsche Siedlung nordwestlich vom damaligen Tiflis gegründet wurde. Die Ausstellung zeigt historische, kritische, ironische und poetische Aspekte dieses Ortes anhand von verschiedenen Kontexten und Medien – unter anderem die Pläne zum Umbau des Marjanishvili-Viertels aus den 1980er- und 1990er-Jahren. Die Materialien dazu stammen aus meinem privaten Architekturarchiv.
Das Marjanishvili-Viertel ist immer noch im Wandel. Die Bewohner und der urbane Raum durchlaufen Veränderungen. Es offenbaren sich unterschiedliche Realitäten und Gewohnheiten, eine Stimmung des Aufbruchs entsteht. In zeitlichen wie auch in räumlichen Darstellungen wird aufgezeigt, was das Zusammenleben der Menschen dieses Stadtteils ausmacht. Was verbindet uns?
This project has been carried out in the framework of the TAB Tbilisi Architecture Biennial with the support of the Creative Europe Program of the European Union.
Exhibition supported by TBC Bank
GEORGIAN TV ABOUT EXHIBITION:
1 TV / October 19, 2020 (6 min) / Georgian
PRESS ABOUT EXHIBITION:
ARCHITECTURE CONCEPT – WHAT NOT TO MISS AT THE TBILISI ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE
October 21, 2020 / Link to full article (Georgian)
MARJANISHVILI QUARTER – NEW EXPOSITION AND HISTORICAL ARCHIVE
October 16, 2020 / Link to full article (Georgian)
LECTURE & TALK:
Lecture / October 28, 2020 (25 min) / Georgian
ART CIRCEL / A conversation between Mariam Natroshvili and Irina Kurtishvili
November 19, 2020 (43 min) / Georgian
EXHIBITION VIEWS:
Panels 1, 2, 3, 4, showcases and drawing / Photography by Sandro Sulaberidze
Panel 1: TBC Building from 1910 until 1930 / Original floor plans from the 1930s, blueprints 55 x 60 cm (x3) / Photography by Guram Kapanadze
Panels 5, 6, 7, 8, showcase and drawing / Photography by Sandro Sulaberidze
Panels 5, 6, 7, showcases and drawing / Photography by Sandro Sulaberidze
Panel 5: Marjanishvili Theatre / Photography by Guram Kapanadze
Left: 14 exhibits from the private archive of poet Galaktion Tabidze (1892-1959) / The collection of the State Museum of Georgian Literature, Tbilisi
Right: Quote by G. Tabidze and drawing by W. Kutishvili (1935-1996), alteration of the Marjanishvili Quarter, 1982 / Photography by Sandro Sulaberidze
Marjanishvili Quarter 1980s - Architectural Archives: 20 large format negatives, 5 photos, 2 envelopes / Photography by Sandro Sulaberidze
Quote on the wall by poet Galaktion Tabidze / Drawing by W. Kutishvili: Alteration of the Marjanishvili Quarter, 1982 / Panel 4 with Book Chamber, former publishing house "Soviet Georgia" / Photography by Guram Kapanadze
EN
ARCHITECTURAL GUIDED TOURS WITH IRINA KURTISHVILI
SUN, 25.10.2020, 3pm to 5pm
TUE, 27.10.2020, 8pm to 10pm
Program: Building of the TBC Concept; so-called "Green Building", House of Galaktion Tabidze and former publishing house "Soviet Georgia"; Marjanishvili Theatre and the prop workshop, where the artist group "10th Floor" worked in the 1980s; Bertha von Suttner's house; Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports; Courtyards of the residential blocks, especially high-rise building (corpus no. 16), unrealized second subway exit and underground car park; High-rise building of the state design institute "Tbilkalakproekti"; Russian, Catholic and Evangelical-Lutheran Churches.
DE
ARCHITEKTURFÜHRUNGEN MIT IRINA KURTISHVILI
SO, 25.10.2020, 15:00 bis 17:00
DI, 27.10.2020, 20:00 bis 22:00
Programm: Gebäude der TBC Concept; sog. „Green Building“, Galaktion Tabidzes Haus und ehemaliges Verlag "Sowjet Georgien", Marjanishvili Theater und Theaterwerkstatt, wo in den 1980er Jahren die Künstlergruppe "10. Etage" gearbeitet hat; Bertha von Suttners Haus; Ministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Kultur und Sport; Innenhöfe der Wohnsiedlung im Marjanishvili-Viertel, vor allem Korpus Nr. 16, unrealisierter zweiter U-Bahn Ausgang und Tiefgarage; Hochhaus des staatlichen Entwurfsinstitutes "Tbilkalakproekti", Russische, katholische und lutherisch-evangelische Kirchen.
Tour participants in front of the Tbilkalakproekti high-rise building / Photography by Sandro Sulaberidze
Photography by Giorgi Kolbaia
Tour participants in front of the Catholic Church, photography by Giorgi Kolbaia / Courtyards between housings, photography by Sandro Sulaberidze
Passage from Usnadze Street to Marjanishvili Square, June 2020
Unrealized second subway exit, June 2020
Marjanishvili Street, first drafts / Sketches by W. Kurtishvili / Indian ink on paper, 1982
EXHIBITION
TBILISI ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL
DIRECTORS AND FOUNDERS: Tinatin Gurgenidze, Otar Nemsadze, Gigi Shukakidze
CURATOR OF TBC CONCEPT AND TBC ART COLLECTION: Nina Akhvlediani
SCENOGRAPHY: Irina Kurtishvili
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Irakli Kiziria, Berlin
EXHIBITION PRODUCTION: Zura Tsofurashvili, Ninuza Shatberashvili, Zura Matsharashvili
ARCHIVES: AA Architecture Ambience, Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Georgian Literature, National Library of Georgia, National Archives of Georgia, National Agency for the Protection of Monuments
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Irina Kurtishvili thanks all institutions, people and partners who contributed to realize this project
Exhibition venue:
TBC Concept
7 Marjanishvili St.
3802 Tbilisi