At the very first meeting of the art group Nino and me  expressed our feelings and ideas in a written form, in paragraphs, in a “manifest-decadence” mode, in which we “daringly” explained “our world outlook”. “Our mode of life “, “our activity” was connected with art. “Mode of life” was expressed in dresses, perfumes, cars, computers, mobile telephones. All this was explained by the amazing charm of the epoch. Our sincere-communicative presentation was received without any admiration, but the words “style”, “charm” and “epoch” drew a particular attention. An artist, “thinking in art-categories” and permeated with “Pygmalion” images, wrote on a peace of  paper the title of future project “The Style and Charm of the Epoch”. And this gave start to the implementation of our “free will”. After a while the pathetic disposition was slowed down, the title became more concrete and after some careful search an art group of six artists was created under the aegis of ordinary epochal “charm”.

The artists were principally united by their cultural closeness. Coexistence and the process of adaptation of creative individuals inside the “Charm” was of special interest, to get the common contour, besides the coexistence it was necessary to achieve mutual penetrating. Uniting of creative individuals with different age, mode of life, characters, past, perception of world, sex, ideas, love - under the ephemeral idea, especially in a short period of time, required the correct professionalism, experience and ardent striving. We must confess, that despite the “inflexible” search, the factor of choice only our personal sympathy and the possible coexistence of artists - was prompted by our intuition. For one of us “the Charm” appeared erogenic, another, with youthful passion suggested humour and play;  one meant his color “defect” or “effect”, another developed sexual fantasies; one saw “the Charm” in the cliche framework, another spoke about visualizing creative process, with intellectual coquetry.

 Despite the abovesaid, “the Charm” was not a thoughtless caprice born by the play on words “the Charm” is, on one hand, an internal revolt against “shriveled” and “ dry”, not of reason, but an outburst of senses and emotions - alternation of passions; on the other hand it is a series of epochal events - absorbed and accumulated in us for  yars, realized on mental-ironic and emotional level - the necessity to fix the situation at the end of the XX century and the desire to strengthen the existing fundament.

The individual realization of the existing means the approaching of new ideas; it was necessary to catch the moment and this moment was our “charm”. Let us see, how the concrete-exposition orients of our “moment” or “Charm” will be comprehended, will it become a phenomenon of general culture, or remain a simple experiment, a vacant interval between the epochal events, a kind of pause, or maybe it is to become an observation upon creative process, to delight in them a successful demonstration of partaking of aesthetic taste. “The Charm” is our position in the course of time, a free gesture, in which “observation” upon the artistic creation acquires a special importance. If for Koka Ramishvili “the Charm” was a  “sfumato” of evolutional chain and attention was principally drawn to visual effects, for Koko Varvaridze it was a stage of necessary process and “hooliganism” on the topic of “anticharm”; Iliko Zautashvili’s postconeptual “prostration” was emotionally charged; Ketty Kapanadze, for whom the life itself is “Charm”, traditionally continued to observe creative process; Kote Sulaberidze, on the background of sweet family life  still “talking” about the painting conceptual beauty, and free colorful visualizing of world; Murtaz Shvelidze began to parade his hidden dreams with manly mentality. It’s true, all of them appeared self-sufficient and exhaustive towards themselves and their own ecstasy about “the Charm” without philosophizing, with simple human passions and feelings at the end of XX century.

 Alexandra Gabunia.  October 14, 1999.

DOCUMENTARY FILM

POSTCARD 

DOCUMENTARY FILM

Irakli Varvaridze “I am twenty three years old”
color photography, 127cm/100cm

Murtaz Shvelidze. "Old TV sets"
painting, object 61cm in diagonal

Koka Ramishvili “The adventures of Ghavani in the crystal palace”
Color photigraphy, glass, wood, 300/500/10cm