On the Edge Fest
On the Edge Fest” opened in Telliskivi Creative City Outdoor Gallery and Baltic Station Art Street From Thursday, August 24, the first part of the festival On the Edge Fest will open in Telliskivi Outdoor Gallery and Baltic Station’s Art Street outdoor gallery. This time, the documentary and aesthetic photography exhibition focuses on Georgian photography.
Nine Georgian authors together with their photo series and multimedia projects will be exhibited: Shalva Khakhanashvili, Yuri Mechitov, Daro Sulakauri, Dina Oganova, Guram Tsibakhashvili, Hitori Ni, Tbel Abuseridze, Giorgi Shengelia and Giorgi Nakashidze. The exhibitions are curated by Temuri Khvingia, photo artist and gallerist of OKAPI Gallery, and Andrii Mur, Ukrainian street and documentary photographer living in Estonia.
“For the second year in a row we’re driven by the ambition of raising viewer’s awareness. We keep developing the project into a thematic and regular festival, which involves various partners, includes both indoor and urban spaces as well as the additional program,” the curators say. They would point out at least two names from the list. Firstly, Yuri Mechitov, an old-school photographer who could be compared to Kalju Suur, a legendary Estonian author. And secondly, Daro Sulakauri, whose series tells the story of those living near the occupied borderlines of two breakaway regions of Georgia. “What does it feel like when you are living on the edge, to be perpetually on the edge of losing a part of your house?”, she asks.
On the Edge Fest – started in 2022 with the exposition of Ukrainian documental photo art – is a long-term project that takes a closer look at borderline conflicts in different regions and countries, especially where there has been war or other current social problem. It explores the hidden tensions, geopolitical, psychological and self-identical fears both inside of a country itself and in relationship with its neighbors. This way, they provide us an opportunity to self-reflect, reminding us that freedom and dignity are genuine values of the true society which cares about their own cultural heritage and builds their independent future regardless of the intentions of aggressors.
