October // On Tbilisi
This article examines the precarious state of art communities in Tbilisi, Georgia, amid mounting political, economic, and security pressures. Through extensive interviews with artists, curators, educators, and cultural administrators, Córdova documents how Georgian artists face three primary threats: repressive legislation by the ruling Georgian Dream party, economic instability, and security threats from Russia. The article analyzes how recent laws targeting foreign-funded organizations and LGBTQ+ expression, combined with the Ministry of Culture's systematic defunding of museums and cultural institutions, are creating an increasingly hostile environment for artists and arts organizations.
The piece explores how Georgia's position as a strategic battleground between Russia and the West has made its cultural sector particularly vulnerable, while also highlighting how artists and collectives are finding creative ways to resist through education initiatives, collaborative platforms, and grassroots organizing. Special attention is paid to how the spillover effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine have impacted Georgia's art scene, both through massive immigration and heightened geopolitical tensions. The article concludes by examining the implications of Georgia's contested 2024 parliamentary elections and subsequent political crisis for the future of its artistic community.
