Saakashvili pledges to support Georgian artists

President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili and his wife Sandra Roelofs visited the exhibition of Georgian sculptor Andro Vekua in the Swiss pavilion of the Venice Biennale in Italy on June 4. The composition named Sokhumi Before Fall comprised of 15 buildings impressed the Georgian President. Emphasizing the beauty of Sokhumi, Saakashvili welcomed the “boundlessness of Georgian talent” and praised the young Georgian artist. “Each country could have exhibited works of one unique artist and they chose a Georgian master,” he said regretting that nothing had been created about Abkhazia during the Soviet era in Georgia “because the political bureau had grabbed the site and refused to return it.”

Andro Vekua is the son of artist Vova Vekua who was killed in the first clashes in Abkhazia in 1989 followed by the war in Abkhazia in 1992-93 between Georgian Government forces and Abkhaz separatists supporting the independence of Abkhazia from Georgia. “What Andro Vekua has done is very significant for us all because the invaders will never succeed in removing Abkhazia from our minds because Abkhazia belongs to the multi-ethnical Georgia population and they [Russia] won’t keep it for long,” the President said stressing the Georgian Government would return Abkhazia through legal methods.

The works of another Georgia sculptor Tamar Kvesitadze amazed the entire Biennale festival. Exhibiting five works of contemporary art the sculptor received great applause from the Georgian President. Kvesitadze presented Georgia with her four exhibits. Calling Kvesitadze “a genius” Saakashvili thanked her for promoting Georgia throughout the world. Presenting people’s internal moods through variations, Kvesitadze’s rotating sculpture will be placed at the new building of the Georgian Parliament in Kutaisi. “If anyone in life can be called a genius it will first of all be Tamar Kvesitadze. I’m really happy that artists applause her even here. As soon as I start saying we have lots of talented artists in Georgia lots of people get envious and start arguing but we have better stop doing such things and welcome innovations,” the President stated.

Promising the Georgian Government would do its best to promote art even with “its modest resources” Saakashvili said Georgia has lots of talented faces who need the Governmental support. Praising Kvesitadze’s achievements the President reviewed young artist’s previous sculptures like Ali and Nino in Batumi Boulevard which according to the President has become the symbol of the seaside city. “We are opening her second very interesting sculpture in Batumi in August 2011, than we will place her other work in Kutaisi Parliament. This sculpture will represent whispering faces indicating that the MPs should always listen to people,” Saakashvili said welcoming the fact that the 21st century has started with “female genius” in Georgia.