Artists Aleksi Soselia, Galaqtion Eristavi, Wato Tsereteli, Mamuka Japharidze and Nino Sekhniashvili will present and discuss their practices. The talk GATE #3 is a collaboration between Box and Skogen and part of a larger program at Skogen: SIX GATES TO CAUCASUS.

If we imagine a gate we might think of an entrance to another state (national or mental) – it might be a place for phantasies, political negotiations, economical transactions, or even magical disappearances or dreams.

Caucasus for sure is a backdrop for dreams and myths, but also of conflict, war and traces of a fallen soviet empire. The region is naturally framed between big civilizations by the Black and Caspian seas, the big Caucasus Range, steps and diverse mountain ranges. From west it met Greek-Roman-Byzantine-European, from north: Scythes-Alan’s – Khazars – Slav’s, from east: Iranian – Mongols – Seltchucs, from south: Mesopotamian – Arabic…. The Great Silk Route was not only passing through the Caucasus – it was a crucial exchange point for goods between east and west.

During three weeks the Tbilisi based Tetsi Group will work together with invited artists to explore the idea of gates as a format for artistic interaction and learning. The concept of the gates brings the whole program of this thematic block into an processual uncontrolled artwork and proposes an understanding of art not primarily as objects on display, but rather as the creation of openings and journeys.