02/09/09
Wednesday was our last day in Tbilisi and the last day of the project.
We started by helping Kote with a blog before heading to the Blue Bath – a sulphur oriental bath in the old town for a ‘peeling and massage’ session which was by turns really nice and really painful.
Rested, we took a walk to Karvasla, a venue for this year’s Artisterium and a former caravan inn for the silk road traders turned contemporary art venue which also hosts the Tbilisi History Museum. Karvasla also hosts many other significant contemporary art exhibitions and events. The space is truly amazing and due to undergo a complex refurbishment, think 4mln USD over 2 years, thick glass floors etc. There, we briefly met with Magda Guruli and Iliko Zautashvili in the midst of their preparations for Artisterium.
After a quick stop for our last meal of khinkali we had a quick look round the Arci gallery (Architecture and Development), another important point on a cultural map of Tbilisi, and dropped in on Vakho Bugadze at his studio who showed us some of his recent paintings.
Time was running out but we managed to squeeze in an on-street meeting with art historians Irina and Michiko (Lali’s friends from London) and a catalogue pickup from Nana Kirmelashvili.
Lastly, there was time for a glass of wine on the balcony of Kote’s friend’s flat in Vake where we enjoyed a final look at the city as the sun set.
It was sad to have to leave Georgia and all the people we’d met but no-one else seemed too bothered that we were going: ‘You’ll be back,’ they said…
