GeoArtMood Creator: Art is my way to tell you about Georgia
Inspired by the incredible "Georgian culture meets Western art" images doing the rounds on social media, GEORGIA TODAY went to meet their creator, Tsiko Shamrelashvili to find out more.
“I started the photo project ‘Geoartmood’ in the summer of 2018 on Instagram,” she tells us. “While working, I knew the content was very creative and would inarguably grab people’s interest. But I had no idea how massive it could become. I aimed to popularize Georgia, and uploaded information in English about the particular historical places, dishes and other elements of Georgian culture used in the artworks. Each piece raised the number of foreign followers and saw me receiving ever more emotional messages. It motivated me to keep going.”
Within a few months, media had picked up on her photo project and started to create a buzz in society.
“The next thing I knew, representatives of foreign media were showing an interest in Geoartmood – from Russia to France.”
What is your inspiration?
I’ve been interested in graphic design and photography since I can remember. Even in school, I tried capturing iconic images of Georgia, creating collages and putting them on different photographic websites. I chose Public Management as my major in college and didn’t have time to pursue my hobby further, though I still tried to hone my skills, watching lessons on mastering graphic design on Youtube. In summer 2018, I visited Svaneti for the first time. I was astonished by the beauty of the region. The pictures I took in Svaneti became my inspiration for the project and I put them in the style of Geoartmood, soon deciding to expand and create similar artworks showing all known and unknown parts of our beautiful country. I came up with the slogan “Art is my way to tell you about Georgia” and that’s when I started uploading the content.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE WHICH ART TO MERGE WITH GEORGIAN IMAGES?
At first, the project focus was to promote the country, then I came to prioritize the visual side of the artwork so as many people as possible could get into it. I started connecting the art and the parts of Georgia piece by piece. Finding or building bridges between the imaginary world of an artist and real places or things is the most interesting part. Sometimes, the combination adds up so well that, in the end, even I am amazed by how well they go together.
For example, the artwork on Abkhazia combining the region and Christina's World, a painting by Andrew Wyeth. They fit together perfectly, despite the differences between actual backgrounds.
Another example would be the photo version of ‘Samaia,’ a national Georgian dance. At first glance it’s hard to figure out what Frida Kahlo is doing performing a Georgian dance, but if you look closely and think about it, it makes sense. Kahlo was fascinated by the cult of empowered women; her works emphasize the beauty and grace of female nature, so connecting her to Samaia made sense, as the dance manifests these qualities of a woman. What’s more, the costumes of Samaia were inspired by Queen (‘King’) Tamar, who in Georgia is a real example of female strength and fierceness.
What are you working on these days?
I just finished Geolab’s course in graphic design. That’s the field I see myself working in, so I’ve decided to continue my studies in commercialization and graphic design. I have plans concerning Geoartmood, too. I want to offer consumers a variety of products and start my own print company.
Right now, I’m busy with organizational issues of ‘Europe’s Georgia.’ I’m the leader of the digital group, also overseeing graphic design for the company. I’m an intern at ‘GLOW Georgia’ in the direction of social media, and am involved in many different, important activities that prioritize female leadership and women’s rights.
How can art serve the country’s interests?
This field has no age limit. It does not categorize society into different races, religions, genders… It gives each person the chance to form an individual thought, then create new context out of it and for the final trick, enjoy what the person’s vision has created. That is why I think that art is one of our biggest resources to develop tourism. It would certainly serve us well if Georgia used that resource: innovative museums would be opened, exhibitions would be arranged, not only in the capital but in the regions, too; people would become more aware of our local artists… And finally, Georgia would become one of the leading countries in Eastern Europe. Different studies show that 70% of tourists choose their route according to the cultural festivities, not sites or attractions. Trusting this data, it becomes very clear that art can serve the economic development of Georgia. As Robert Lynch of ‘Americans for the Arts’ put it: ‘Art has the power to transform society. After this transformation, we get better children, better cities, better nations, and a better world.’
Is there another interesting project in the works?
As I’m a graphic designer, projects have become an integral part of my daily life. I have a lot of interesting ideas. I can’t share them just yet – but soon I’ll be publishing the final version of a new project!
By Nini Dakhundaridze