An unprecedented exhibition is coming to Georgia. For the first time in history, works by Pablo Picasso will arrive in the country. Under the agreement of Collaboration between Georgian National Museum and the Ion Department of France, 40 masterpieces will be exhibited in Georgia from May, 30 through September, 6, 2009.
It is worth mentioning that a 10 years history of collaboration unites Georgia’s region of Kakheti and the Department of Ion. And it is Signagi, the beautiful town in this Georgian region, where the exhibition will be opened on May, 30. The unique works of Picasso from private collections never left the Zervo Museum in France. They will be exhibited in Georgia in return to the exhibition of works by Niko Pirosmani, which has received great response in France. “We have this great opportunity to host Picasso’s exhibition. I think it is fantastic that Georgia was chosen. And I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Ion Department and all partners who were supporting this project, and the French Embassy in Georgia,” Micheil Tsereteli, Deputy Director for Educational and Public Programs of Georgian National Museum, told Georgia Today.
During the 1930s, Pirosmani became well-known in France as a “naive” artist, and in 1972 Pablo Picasso even commissioned him with the honor of painting his portrait. Currently Pirosmani’s works are on display in Vilnius, Lithuania. The exhibition will be open until May, 31.
All in all there will be three exhibitions of Picasso’s works in Georgia: in Signagi (May, 30-June, 23), Tbilisi (June, 28 – August, 2) and Batumi (August, 8 – September, 6).
“It is quite an event for Georgia, and since Picasso is a very famous artist across whole world and in Georgia, people here know very much about him. Although, that knowledge is based on books and some secondary information. They have never had a chance to see Picasso’s works in life. This is the first step, which will hopefully be groundbreaking for next similar initiatives,” Nika Rurua, Minister of Culture of Georgia, told Georgia Today. “I am very glad to be a part of it,” Mr. Rurua added.
Currently, The Georgian National Museum is also working on an educational program that will consist of lectures as well as printed materials about Pablo Picasso. “David Lordkipanidze together with his team is working on that and I really support and solute that decision,” Mr. Rurua told Georgia Today.
Filed under: Art
