BI Auction for Georgian Artists
It was Bengu Akcardak Kucuk and Ika Bokuchava’s idea to organize the BI Auction for Arts last year to feature some of Georgia’s best-known artists. Following that first successful attempt, they decided to do it again in 2016 with a massive exhibition prior to the art auction itself.
The exhibition will showcase works by Lado Gudiashvili, Elene Akhvlediani, Merab Abramishvili, Sergo Kobuladze, Zurab Nijaradze, Temo Gotsadze, Irakli Parjiani.
GEORGIA TODAY met with the organizers to talk about how they came up with the idea of the auction and more generally on the art market in Georgia.
Bengu: My husband and I are both lovers and collectors of art. So, we were very excited with the opportunity to live and work in Tbilisi! We had heard that Tbilisi was a city of art but when we came here we didn’t particularly feel that way. Although there was an artistic spirit to the city, visible in its culture, history and architecture, there was a great lack of information on Georgian artists especially for foreigners. We couldn’t find reliable pricing, or any organization that could provide that information for us. That’s when the idea of creating an art auction came to me. Initially, it was regarded as something very difficult and even crazy to do, but I didn’t hold back. I prepared a project and made a presentation, but lots of people thought the timing to realize it wasn’t good because the market wasn’t ready. The thing is, all my life I’ve been surrounded by works of art. My family had a collection from Turkey and abroad, and throughout my career, while working at Turkey’s biggest companies in the sector (Sabancı Group, Manajans JWT) I also had the chance to be connected with artworks. I had my first auction experience 20 years ago abroad, then I followed all the major art auctions in Istanbul and it was a great opportunity to learn how it all works. I met with Ika (Ika Bokuchava) last year in Tbilisi and shared my wish to make an art auction of Georgian Artists and that’s how our cooperation was born. Ika has a wonderful understanding and knowledge of Georgian art and the art market; she is a great collectioner and she owns an art gallery, so she is really very active in the field. I felt we had to do something for Georgian art and artists.
What are your expectations for the Art Auction?
Ika: The auction is beneficial both for artists and buyers and we give buyers the freedom to make a choice. We want to show the best collection of Georgian paintings from classics to contemporary. At our first auction we had such big names as Ketevan Magalashvili, Lado Gudiashvili, Elene Akhvlediani, Mose Toidze, and Levan Tsutskiridze. We are thankful to the galleries and artists for their support. I think Bengu and I make a good tandem, learning from each other’s opinions, sometimes arguing, discussing- but all as a very healthy process. Bengu is so motivated, so engaged, she already knows so much about Georgia and her life is connected to arts; that’s what made me agree to do our auction project.
What problems can you highlight with regards to the arts market in Georgia?
Ika: The market has to grow and the demand will increase accordingly… There must be more galleries and artists collaborating with each other.
Bengu: I think people should be more oriented towards the future. Participating in an art auction gives the opportunity for the buyers to find good art pieces by learning and comparing- and it’s good for artists’ careers, for their promotion. Artists shouldn’t spend their time and energy on finding ways to sell their works; they must use their talent to create better and better pieces. We put enormous effort into finding pieces to offer. We select portfolios very carefully. We’re not in a rush… we want to do it step by step. I’m deeply impressed by how much Georgians know about art, because they grew with it around them, at home…many paintings are kept in private collections. We’re trying to attract Georgian art collectors, presenting them the best pieces we can show. Our goal is to develop and expand a reliable art market in Georgia and we also want to attract a new generation of buyers not only from Georgia but from abroad. We want to get Georgian artists into the spotlight and to support them. Owning a piece of art is a fantastic and an amazing journey; it brings value to our life. A good piece of art is a good investment which you can not only pass to the next generations, but also evaluate. Art, music…culture brings color to life.
Nino Gugunishvili