15.10 - 05.12.2020
The project “Marjanishvili District” was created for the 2nd Tbilisi Architecture Biennial and presented the history of this neighborhood through various archival materials. Among them were: the architectural archive of the district’s 1980 - 1990s reconstruction; restoration documents of the TBC Bank headquarters building from the 2000s; and pages from Galaktion Tabidze’s diaries preserved in the Georgian Museum of Literature, which were displayed in their original form for the first time at the TBC Concept gallery space. It is noteworthy that Galaktion Tabidze once lived on Marjanishvili (formerly Zhores) Street, in house No. 4, on the second floor.
The exhibition was organized by themes and included materials about: The TBC Bank building, shaped by two centuries of urban development; The Marjanishvili Theatre; The National Book Palace; The so-called “Green Building” and the unrealized 1980s reconstruction plan for Marjanishvili Street - one of the examples of “idealistic projects” of Soviet modernism that never came to life.
The curator of the exhibition was Irina Kurtsikidze- an artist and scenographer working in both Germany and Georgia. She has curated numerous multidisciplinary exhibitions in Tbilisi, Frankfurt, Berlin and Vienna.
The 2nd Tbilisi Architecture Biennial, titled What Do We Have in Common?, took place from October 17 to November 8, 2020. Its theme reflected the ongoing pandemic and new global reality, exploring how a single shared challenge could unite people across the world. Professionals discussed Tbilisi’s architectural and urban issues around the concept of commonality, mainly in a digital format.
In parallel with the exhibition, guided tours were also organized within the Biennial.
Exhibition partners:
Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Georgian Literature
National Parliamentary Library of Georgia
National Archives of Georgia
National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia
SOVLAB
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