Contest Winners for New Georgian Digital Print Announced
The winners of the TBC Georgian A contest were named at an award ceremony on June 9 which saw participants having to create their own print of the Georgian alphabet, containing all 33 letters.
The winners were expected to be named in eight categories. However, at the decision of the Jury, participants of only seven categories were awarded.
Participants of Modern A, Shorthand A, Adapted A, Academic A, Artistic A, Technical A, and Futuristic A categories presented very good samples while samples in the Succinct A category, were apparently less than satisfactory.
Funded and supported by the TBC Bank, the project came about thanks to well-known Georgian Designer Zviad Tsikolia as part of the #WriteinGeorgian (#წერექართულად) campaign which aims to preserve and develop the Georgian language in both print and use.
The competition was open for any person, with participants able to contribute in any and every category. However, participants were allowed to present only one print in each single category.
According to the organizers, an unexpectedly high number of samples was received- in total 160 different Georgian prints were registered from March 21 to April 30.
Each category had two winners. TBC bank granted 2,000 GEL to the first place winner and 1,000 GEL to the second, while E-book house Saba gifted 50 and 25 electronic books, respectively.
Additionally, Tsikolia gifted a watch, designed by him, to Jumber Betchvaia, who was the author of his chosen print.
Chairman of the Supervisory board, Mamuka Khazaradze, said that project #WriteinGeorgian (#წერექართულად) is something really “quite special and rare.”
“The project launched by us is unique and many interesting initiatives have been implemented through it. For example, we held a special course for print engineering. Also, within the project, we created the largest Georgian - English digital dictionary. Further, a special congress for lexicography is going to be organized. We also want to create a Microsoft translation platform,” Khazaradze said, adding that the goal of the project is to defend and develop Georgian print and language.
“This is our national treasure. We should promote the use of Georgian print and language in everyday life and defend it from barbarism. As such, we intend to make this contest an annual one and create as many good Georgian prints as possible,” Khazaradze said.
Winner in five different categories, Zurab Miminoshvili, said that this is only beginning and the tradition should continue.
“I’m very happy that people like me were given the chance to show their work to the Georgian people. I won in many different categories and I’m very grateful that members of the jury appreciated my work,” stated Miminoshvili.
Another winner, Ia Darakhvelidze spoke of the family tradition that led to her participation in the print contest. “My father started creating prints many years ago and I’m just continuing his work. I’m overjoyed that my father’s dream came true and our joint creation will soon be in common use,” she said.
“In my opinion, Georgian print is one of the most beautiful among existing languages. Since the world is getting more and more digital, our print also needs to be upgraded. This contest has contributed to its development,” Tsikolia said.
Tatia Megeneishvili