Everyone has their own prayer; they pray differently, sometimes without realising it; people need to believe into something non-existent, even themselves.

Luka Akimidze belongs to the youngest generation of the Contemporary Georgian art. These are the group of ambitious, talented and very determined teenagers and Luka being one of them has recently held a solo exhibition- The City I live in. Like most of them, denouncing the academy, Luka is reading social studies in GIPA University. After attending couple of the preparatory classes for the Academy, which in Georgia consist of mundane drawing of the same still life, Luka fearing his artistic taste would be ruined, decided not to apply to the academy; 

Likewise, the exposition was held in an alternative space of a random cellar rather than a standard gallery space. The art presented in a very specific space of a half run-down basement was very interesting both in its content as well as appearance. Luka, incorporating the influences of both, Georgian and European art, has exploited the text. Lyrical, critical, idealistic and often angry, the writing was everywhere: the ceiling, walls and the paintings. Giving a textual overture to the drawings, the surprisingly mature discussion forced the audience to observe the mixed media artworks more carefully and find the links for themselves. The shabby aesthetics of the space complimented the artworks a lot.

‘Everyone’s mind is busy with the things they apprehend, therefore, everyone has their own invented city; I also have my unique city and that was what I wanted to present. Therefore, the space had to compliment my presentation. The city I live in is full of dung and is very cynical- the first time I entered this space I realised it would fully correspond to my intentions- these pink walls and the wrecked floor. I wanted the whole of the exhibition to be a single organism.’
The space was so inspirational most of the artworks were completed after finding the space. The pink of the basement is so common around that it has a potential of becoming the distinctive colour of our generation similar to the blue that signifies the decline of the Soviet Union. Luka, probably involuntarily, has pointed out the problem of the white space, which being so pretentious is hardly ever beneficial for the painting, which is still a dominant art form in Georgia.

Denouncing authorities of any kind, Luka predictably has curated the exhibition himself with the central theme of dump. The exhibition poster of the rubbish bin invited the audience to rethink the concept of a waste: ‘a landfill is full of things that have lost purpose for specific people, they would find a happy owner if recycled, however, they are burnt or buried.’  A separate space was devoted to the installation of a scrapheap where the audience was encouraged to dispose their rubbish and only few brave ones decided to pick up stuff they found interesting out of the ‘rubbish’. Defining and dividing art into Beuys and Warhol, Luka wants to belong to the team B- evaluate facts objectively and provide solutions. He is all in for the art that suggests ways. Therefore, this installation was an act promoting and encouraging recycling, the lack of which leads to the appalling results and becoming a necessity of the 21^st century, is still non-existent in Georgia.

The exhibition, summing up Luka’s creative development up-to-date was divided into series of various sizes. The first one opening up the exposition was a triptych called Patriarch, God, President. These authorities crucial in navigating Georgian society are depicted in the form of a Pope, pagan totem and a king, Luka claims that the form changes but the content is the same- the ‘garbage’ as he calls it. Referencing God and religion frequently, Luka points at Sartre and Besik Kharanauli as his guides to the right track.  ‘I hate the God these people call theirs- the God that let’s them commit so many injustices. What is important is that I believe in infinity and it does not matter you call it a Jesus Christ or Trinity. I’m only Christian because I was born in Georgia, like the majority of the world- they follow the religion they were born into, which is not right if you ask me’.

Beaming of Iveria is a series of canvases focusing on a pivotal building of a Soviet hotel Iveria, which after being built has acquired numerous roles from being a piece of propaganda hosting foreign guests, to being a shelter for Abkhazian refugees- now it is a luxurious hotel Radisson.  The phrase Iveria will shine is a very popular one: ‘you can hear the expression everywhere- the Georgian supras for example, it is a sort of justification ‘yes we don’t do anything, but Iveria will shine anyways’, as if it is inevitable and I say that it has already happened- Iveria is beaming already’. The cynical approach to the fascination of the locals with the global brands is cleverly put into a statement that Georgia has already reached its peak, because it has a Radisson, regardless of its inadequacy with the rest of the country. Ironically enough, some did not get the satiric twist and saw Luka as their like-minded. ‘Art has an ambition of improving the surroundings even for a tiny bit’-therefore, Luka is all in for a socially aware art, which is a challenging concept for the local art scene still valuing the aesthetics before the content.

‘Art is the archaeology in one’s own brain. Art introduces myself to me. Often I have written something jumbled and unclear and only after a while had it occurred to me, that was the precise depiction of my state of being at that moment.’
Claiming an artist does not need art historical knowledge, Luka’s art reveals his awareness of it, naming Jan-Michel Basquiat as his all times favourite artist, quite a trend his generation sports. In search of supreme ideals, Luka is enchanted by ‘the sincerity of Basquiat’s expression’. The other, more vivid influence on Luka’s art is Karlo Kacharava. Fascinated by the present day art enigma, Karlo, Luka claims to share those similarities without knowing Karlo’s work. Indeed, incorporating text Luka, like Karlo tries to be critical towards the society and first of all towards himself. 

There is a reference to Picasso in the relief constructions from the summer vacation to Tusheti, which were quite interesting. The vases, glasses and other banal objects stuck to juicy canvases give a hope in Luka’s future ventures that won’t be ordinary. The upbeat colours animate the mundane urban scenes, which often appear on Luka’s canvases even if he claims to dislike the modern lifestyle. The jagged lines create the chaotic movement, which in our reality is a pace of life.  It was very exciting to see a beginner take an initiative without a fear of failing, not waiting for the authoritative figure of a mother, or a teacher, or even a curator to notice him and do the work for him.





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 * a quote from Luka's painting