Snaps

A solo exhibition by Ana Gzirishvili 

Snaps – gathers a recent body of work by Ana Gzirishvili. A series of sculpture, painting and site-specific installation create a dense landscape to be untangled. Structured around the idea of a handbag and what/how it connects, the works create an interesting juxtaposition of various material, such as assemblages of found and purchased on a secondary market object, 3D modeling and watercolor on paper. 

One cannot bypass the ideas behind the Object-Oriented Ontology of Bruno Latour and some of the classical philosophy of Martin Heidegger. What is the object itself, when derived of its function, taken out of its context, disconnected from its owner? 

Probably these ideas are resonated most vividly in the PLA works, replicating some of the actual objects in the exhibition space. These are other kind of Snaps, connecting and disconnecting objects of various function. Homage to these otherwise hidden structural elements opens up new horizons for discussion. While liberating the objects from their initial context discussion merely about the context is being provoked.  

Assemblages of various handbags dominate the exhibition. Predestined for perpetual relocation these objects for carrying other objects, are being arranged and re-arranged by the artist according to the architecture of the space they occupy.  As if constantly primed for a swift change, these perfectly tailored intricate objects are made fit for uncertainty. 

To quote the artist: “Handbag implies the outdoor area - if you have a handbag on it means that you are outdoors. A handbag is a reminder of a woman when she is not at home.

It's a symbol of movement and being busy, but at the same time it's a very intimate object. For many, a woman's handbag is also a reminder of their mother. A handbag is a home for many women. It is a reminder that women often do not own property or houses. A handbag is a property, shelter, and territory.”

Depending the walkthrough trajectory of the viewer, presented either at the very end of the exposition, or quite the contrary - welcoming the audience, the watercolor series resemble the working process of the artist, while staying indivisible part of the process itself. These abstract works hang as a commentary, accompanying the viewer through the exhibition.

Ana Gzirishvili (1992 Tbilisi, Georgia) is a multimedia artist based in Tbilisi. Ana is a DAAD scholar and a graduate of Universität der Künste Berlin, New Media & Film Class led by professor Hito Steyerl. Throughout her experimental practice, Ana has made use of mediums ranging from film and lens-based media to CGI, from drawing to poetry, reading performances, and sculptures. Her projects often examine visual and socio-cultural narratives of a space, object, or event mainly addressing the feeling of displacement in and in-between material/immaterial realms.

Selection of Press:

Artforum 

Amarta