Vernissage Gallery is pleased to participate in the fourth edition of Tbilisi Art Fair, opening May 21, 2025, with a presentation of paintings, works on paper, collages, and archival materials by a group of nonconformist artists.

The presentation is centered on the artistic trajectory of Vakhtang (Vati) Davitashvili and the milieu of his studio in Telavi. The works on view are diverse responses to the constraints of their time, a condition encapsulated in the exhibition’s title: They Dreamed Dreams, Unlike Ours.

‘Vati Davitashvili was introduced to the world of art by Sergo Parajanov and, naturally, was influenced by the great master and the underground artists gathered around him. At that time, Davitashvili was enrolled at the Kiev School of Aviation. After returning to Georgia, he worked in Avto Varazi’s studio.

Davitashvili’s studio in Telavi is an archive of nonconformist art. It preserves photos, posters and inscriptions that tell the long story of the movement in a compelling way, placing the viewer in the center of those events.’*

Vakhtang (Vati) Davitashvili (1946–2000), a singularly independent nonconformist artist of distinctly original vision, will be represented by several works from his Purmarili series, alongside landscapes and photographic documentation of his renowned studio in Telavi.

Avto Varazi (1926–1977) will be represented by two key works- Woman with Disheveled Hair (1971) and People’s Sheet (1972). Held in private collections, these works are presented here under the auspices of Vernissage Gallery.

The exhibition also includes works and photographic material of Sergo Parajanov (1924–1990), drawn from private collections.

Presented for the first time from the archive of Vati Davitashvili is a personal letter from the renowned Russian nonconformist artist Evgeny Rukhin (1943–1976). This document offers insight into the networks and exchanges that connected nonconformist artists of the period

‍As part of the TAF 2026 programme, the exhibition space of Vernissage Gallery (36 Shota Rustaveli Avenue) will host Portraits, an exhibition of works by Temo Japaridze (1937–2012).

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#TbilisiArtFair

Tbilisi Art Fair 2026

May 21–24, 2026

‍Exhibition Center Expo Georgia

118 Tsereteli Avenue

‍Booth C 10

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* Nana Shervashidze, Vakhtang (Vati) Davitashvili, Vernissage Gallery, Cezanne Publishing, 2023.

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