Written on the Wall: Great Ukrainian Painter at Fine Arts Museum
We are not indulged by frequent expositions of well-known foreign painters in Georgia. On the 12th of February, Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts under the Georgian National Museum hosted the opening of the exhibition titled ‘Wall, Wall and Others’ by the eminent Ukrainian artist Matvey Vaisberg.
The display is organized by the Georgian National Museum, Gallery ‘Vanda’ and the Kiev Art Union ‘Dukat,’ and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Embassy of Ukraine in Georgia and Ukraine International Airlines - MAU.
The first speaker at the opening was Charge D’Affaires of the Republic of Ukraine, Mr. Georgii Nazarov: “Matvei Vaisberg’s paintings adorn private collections in Israel, Sweden, Austria, Greece, the Czech Republic, Japan, Turkey, Canada and many others. His works are successfully being sold in international auctions including Sotherby’s and Philip de Pury. The Georgian audience has a privilege to attend his exhibition first time ever in Tbilisi. I thank the Georgian National Museum. I want to extend special thanks to MAU. Symbolically, the exhibition is being opened in late February. We have overcome one wall and will overcome others too,” Nazarov concluded in an optimistic manner.
“I am grateful to all the parties in charge, as well as to these walls of the Museum. Most importantly, I feel not only as a painter coming from abroad, but as a representative of all Ukrainian painters, and that of Maidan. Time will pass and these paintings will eventually be looked at from a mere academic point of view, but now I am sure that, especially for Georgians, these bitter experiences of ours are very clear,” noted Matvei Vaisberg, the distinguished guest and protagonist of the event.
The Georgian National Museum is supporting popularization of the Ukrainian culture in Georgia. This latest exhibition aims to once again deepen cultural relations between the two countries.
Sandro Mujiri from the Vanda gallery said: “I am very happy that we’ve been given a chance to host one of the most important faces of the contemporary Ukrainian painting. A lot of amateurs are acquainted with these works and hereafter, Georgians will also see them closely. I want to state that we are working on a big project and, within the coming two years, aim try to present further interesting and eminent Ukrainian painters to the Georgian audience.”
The exhibition showcases up to 100 works created by the artist in the last 15 years and united in several artistic series. One of the Series is ‘Wall 28.01. – 08.03.2014,’ was created in 2014, following the events in Maidan in Kiev in which the artist participated.
The exhibition also showcases other series by the artist: ‘Judaean Desert’ (2001). Wall (2011) and ‘Allegories of Virtues and Vices.’ ‘Wall, Wall and Others’ will last until March 6, 2016. Parallel to that, other paintings of Matvei Vaisberg can be seen at Vanda Gallery.
About the Artist
Matvei Vaisberg is a Ukrainian painter, graphic artist, and book designer. In 1990, his first personal exhibition took place in the Historical Museum of Podol, Kiev. More than fifty collective and personal exhibitions have taken place to date, including those in the National Art Museum (Kiev), Kiev National Museum of Russian Art (Kiev), Museum of Contemporary Art in Odessa, Cherkasy Museum of Fine Arts, Berlin Wall Museum, Ukrainian Institute of America (New York), Europe House (London) and the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (Warsaw). His works are kept at various museums and private collections in Kiev, Vilnius, Berlin, Chicago, and Berkley.
Maka Lomadze