Art Inception Georgia and The CERA PROJECT will be working in close collaboration

International Press Release

Art Inception Georgia and the CERA PROJECT have joined forces for the promotion and growth of contemporary Georgian Art. Together they hope to contribute to developing cultural projects that aim to instigate a better understanding of the emerging art landscape in this country – through a series of art exhibitions, talks and educational programmes.

Given the current cultural and social reality in Georgia, we believe OUR COLLABORATION comes right on time to support the Georgian Art Community by challenging and exposing them to international peers and audiences who will help the younger generation of artists to reach opportunities beyond national borders.

During this 2021, our first year of collaboration, we will use the tools of the internet to connect Georgian artists with international curators and critics to discuss their art practices, as well as, give them a virtual platform to exhibit their artworks.

“We are pleased to start a collaboration with the CERA PROJECT, a Portuguese organization and within this collaboration present emerging Georgian artists to the international curators. I am sure our joint forces will positively affect the development of the art scene in Georgia” - said Gvantsa Kikalishvili, founder of Art Inception Georgia.

“I am thrilled to collaborate with Art Inception Georgia and support this exciting project with our international network to help create new opportunities for Georgian artists. I am certain that we will learn and grow together throughout this exciting cultural journey.” – said Inês Valle, Director of the CERA PROJECT.

Open Call

Thus, we are doing an OPEN CALL to all Contemporary Georgian Artists (age: 18-45) who would like to submit their portfolio to be reviewed and discussed by international art experts.

 Artists should submit:

• portfolios (between 5-10 art projects or/20 images of their work),
• updated CV,
• artist statement (between 200-400 words)
• motivation letter, who is their inspiration(s) and motivation to participate in this program.
• All documents should be submitted in English language.

The deadline for submission is: 30 September 2021 (email: call@artinception.online).

The first phase of the project is an online portfolio review of the Georgian artists, reviewed by international art experts from Portugal and Austria. The online portfolio review gives the artists an opportunity to share their artistic process, artworks, ambitions and how they see the world.

The second phase of the project will be dedicated to a curated group exhibition of some of the most exciting emerging artists in the country that have attended the first phase.

Context

Art historians and experts suggest that Georgian contemporary art’s development starts from the 1990s, the time when the Soviet Union collapsed and the country started its development as an independent country.

The civil war in the 1990s and the country’s economic and social development challenged visual artists to find their place and tell their story for local and international audiences.

Georgia has strong art schools that create solid bases for artists to start and develop their career. However, the industry lacks international competencies. The few initiatives addressing the international scene and galleries are still not enough to make real changes visible. In addition, because of the geographical location of the country, the Georgian artists are challenged to reach developed art markets and be shown there.

The challenges Georgian artists are facing is also related to having exhibition spaces and presenting their artworks to the broadest audiences. Access to information and the internet increased the accessibility to the international art market. There are Georgian artists participating in art exhibitions in some international art organizations, however, there is still a long way to go. Thirty years have passed since independence and artists are looking for fresh and innovative approaches. The Georgian emerging artists need information and international perspectives, in order to grow and further develop their artistic careers. Thus international art curators' assessments and feedback is valuable and is something Georgian art scene is deeply missing. There is a cultural void when it comes to emerging visual artists to present their work to the international art curators and get real feedback due to the lack of connections and joint projects.

About Art Inception Georgia

Art Inception is an art communication platform that connects Georgian artists with modern, tech-savvy audiences locally and globally. Art inception is an online marketplace, a showroom of talented Georgian artists and the platform where art lovers can find and purchase artworks online, without barriers and with a new experience. The motto and main message of the platform is “Art, simply brought to you”. Art Inception encourages artists to create an international career while being in Tbilisi. On the contrary, Art Inception’s art advisers assist art lovers while buying artworks and bring them into living and working spaces. Art Inception creates value for both - artists and art lovers.

About the CERA PROJECT:

The CERA PROJECT is a non-profit cultural organization based in Portugal, for the promotion and exhibition of contemporary art that falls outside of Eurocentric and Western narratives, founded in 2016 by the curator Inês Valle. The CERA PROJECT develops, curates and collaborates on cultural projects, art exhibitions and events across the world. The CERA PROJECT encourages critical engagement with contemporary global issues, fosters dialogue between artists, curators, writers, scientists and collectors, and invites you to think differently about art, globalization and your relation to the world around you.

About the project curator - Inês Valle:

Inês Valle, an independent curator, director of the Cera Project and chief art curator at Velvenoir brings years of experience within the global art market, across both the primary and secondary sectors. In her work, she specialised in international collaboration, political art, and lately on art as an investment commodity.