The Artisterium Association is an artist run, non-governmental, non-profit organization that was established in 2008 by Iliko Zautashvili (artist, art historian), Archil Turmanidze (artist, designer) and Magda Guruli (initiator/curator). The association’s main goal is an organization of ARTISTERIUM, the annual Tbilisi international contemporary art exhibition and art events. Artisterium is composed of international art exhibitions, individual art and curatorial projects, a two-day conference, and educational and cultural programs. The event’s title refers to the art club functioning at the art magazine ‘ARS’ in early 20th-century Tbilisi. The club was famous for its well-developed and intense artistic environment, avant-garde exhibitions, poetry evenings, lectures and other activities responding to the modernistic and cubo-futuristic tendencies of the time. The name of the event lets us restore the connections of contemporary art in Georgia to the Tbilisian modernism, thus to its roots. Artisterium fosters the creation of an exchange platform where International artists are brought together to explore artistic differences whilst celebrating commonalities. During the event international and local artists as well as curators, art critics and students have a possibility to meet and exchange. It contributes to the development of an open dialogue, to the popularization of contemporary art and culture and to establish long-term and fruitful relations between the participants. Over a prolonged period, rules, patterns, and systems in contemporary art have been established. It is especially important to realize when such systems appear and are being rooted in the new countries, with new political and social formations. Georgia as well as the whole of the South Caucasus is in the process of defining its place on the world contemporary art map.
