Group Exhibition - Color of Pomegranates

27 June - 8 September, 2024

Gallery Artbeat presents a group show, "Color of Pomegranates," featuring local and international artists. The participating artists include David Apakidze, Alex Margo Arden, Andro Dadiani, Giorgi Kartozia, Marika Kochiashvili, Rene Matic, Giorgi Miminoshvili, Sergei Parajanov, Hannah Quinlan & Rosie Hastings, Gaby Sahhar, and Beso Uznadze.

The thematic resonance of the existing exhibition reflects significant events that have unfolded in Georgia in recent times, profoundly affecting the everyday lives of the LGBTQ+ community, both in public and private spheres. Today, these issues are especially relevant, as homophobic and restrictive constitutional amendments to LGBTQ+ rights have been initiated, which stirs up polarization, divides society and increases the danger of conflict between different groups. It is not accidental that the main addressee of the law introduced in the given context became the artistic space, which is thought to be the main agent of propaganda.

The exhibition's title carries symbolic meaning, reminiscent of the politics of gender identities entrenched in local social spaces for decades. It echoes the cinematic masterpiece of Sergo Parajanov, whose works faced censorship by Soviet authorities, leading to his arrest on charges of homosexuality. Similar repressive practices persist in today's reality, manifesting as physical and social violence inflicted by both the state and society.

The events of May 17, 2013, marked by surreal and absurd scenes, represent one of the brutal manifestations of violence, wherein aggressive clergy or their followers attempted to breach police cordons and physically assault the LGBTQ+ community. With each passing year, this scenario intensifies further. It is within this context that the exhibition seeks to echo and shed light on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals within the discourse of art.

Note:
On June 20, 2024, at the joint session of four committees in Parliament, the draft law limiting LGBT rights, "On Family Values and Protection of Minors," was adopted in the first reading. All four committees supported the anti-LGBTQ+ law. These committees are: The Committee on Protection of Human Rights, the Committee on Protection of Education, and the Committee on Protection of the Sectoral Economy.