Tbilisi, Georgia: The Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery in Tbilisi opened a personal exhibition of works by Mirian Shvelidze, one of the pioneers of new Georgian scenography, on December 24, 2023.
The exhibition, titled “Miro”, showcases the three main directions of the artist’s work: landscape painting, murals, and scenery.
Mirian Shvelidze, who passed away in 2022, was a postmodernist painter who created an artist’s theatre in which the painting of performances took on the equal meaning of dramatic action.
It is worth noting that Mirian Shvelidze’s work is related to the work of director Robert Sturua. He was the leading painter of Rustaveli National Theater until the end of his life. He collaborated with renowned director Robert Sturua on such plays as: “The Trouble of Darispan”, “Richard the Third”, “King Lear”, “Hamlet”, “Man-Man?!” and others.
He also worked with other directors of Kote Marjanishvili, Goris Giorgi Eristavi, and Griboedov theatres, as well as the Free Theater, where a permanent museum of his works was opened on December 15, 2023.
The exhibition of Shvelidze is a project of the National Gallery, and it is the first time that his works are displayed in the exhibition space of Tbilisi. Previously, his exhibitions were hosted by the Rustaveli National Theater and the Museum Complex of Tsinandli.
The exhibition is curated by Maia Chikvaidze, who said that Shvelidze was “a unique artist who enriched Georgian culture with his original vision and style”.
The exhibition will run until January 28, 2024, and is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Monday. The entrance fee is 5 GEL for adults and 3 GEL for students and pensioners.
The exhibition also offers guided tours, lectures, and workshops for visitors who want to learn more about Shvelidze’s life and art.
