The FINANCIAL — Batumi is full of wonders this summer. On 24 August international print festival Life-N-Style returned for the 4th time with an extraordinary programme of exhibitions and events organized in partnership with some of the city’s leading cultural institutions.
“Exhibition in Space” is not just a title – the stratosphere has now turned into an expository place for the festival’s first performance. An unusual exhibition therefore took place 45 km above sea level.
According to Nana Kirmelashvili, creator of the festival, it is a conceptual performance that goes beyond the boundaries of art, in which paintings and graphics transcend the earth and traditional boundaries, thus becoming transcendental.
“Three works by Georgian artist ROMANOZI, accompanied by the TE TE NOISE experimental sound, departed the stratosphere with the help of special equipment from the Art Café Botanico area. The exhibition of transcendental art which took place at a record-breaking height was a precedent in art history, the process of which was fully reflected in the documentary footage created by Toko Mzarelua, Lisa Glonti and Antidote, and presented to a wide audience upon their return to Earth,” she said.
The main idea and purpose of this unprecedented event was the promotion of transcendental art worldwide and to mark both Georgia and Georgian art on the world map.
Alongside the major event taking place in the Earth’s closest cosmos, Botanico invited audience members to discover an “Exhibition on Earth”. Amid live experimental music, a unique collection of handmade prints were on display, featuring performances, installations and video art.
“Black is white and white is black” is the main concept of the festival, aimed at developing the incredible art of printmaking and attracting young collectors.
The festival is sponsored by the Batumi City Hall; Georgian Innovation and Development Center; Creative Georgia; and Svanidze Cellar.
The FINANCIAL is a general media partner of the Life-N-Style festival.
International print festival Life-N-Style aims to promote the development of one of the most unique and ancient directions of modern visual arts – handmade printing (which includes silk screen print, chilography, etching, lithography, and engraving).
The festival represents a unique collection of renowned Georgian and foreign artists in silk printing and a joint project of multimedia artists.
Since 2018, a new segment has been added to the festival’s exhibition format: performance; photo installation; video art; sound; and objects – which has further enhanced the festival and its visual effects. Today, visual art goes beyond the exhibition format; it has various forms of expression. The festival has begun to speak the language of today’s world of visual arts.
By Eva Bolkvadze
