2018 PROTESTS TBILISI

In 2018, I was an artist-in-residence for Center of Contemporary Art (CCA) to produce a project for the Tbilisi Triennial in Tbilisi, Georgia. On my first weekend, I attended a party and later in the evening we decided to take a taxi to Club Cafe, a queer club. Approaching the city center in the taxi, we encountered a blocked road and a growing crowd, where I was separated from my friend and surrounded by masked policemen.

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I live-streamed the police brutality as it happened, it felt reminiscent of my experience at Standing Rock protest camp in North Dakota, USA just a few years earlier. The police actions were shocking—moments of calm punctuated by sudden bursts of violence. The following day revealed a transformed Tbilisi, with ongoing protests stemming from the club raids. The atmosphere was tense, marked by a significant police presence and community divisions, particularly around LGBTQ rights highlighted during Family Purity Day protests led by Orthodox Christian groups.

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Overwhelmed and disheartened, I considered leaving Tbilisi but instead took a train to the sea to regroup. As protests persisted, I realized these experiences would profoundly influence my artwork, shaping my understanding of civic energies and societal dynamics from the individual to the collective.

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Throughout my first month, acts of protest became a recurring theme. Despite the challenges of navigating the city, I witnessed remarkable resilience and determination among those affected.