The high truths of naive art
Niko Pirosmani’s gems in Kyiv
An exhibit of works by Niko Pirosmanishvili (Pirosmani), a prominent Georgian artist from the turn of the 20 th century, was inaugurated on April 5 at the National Art Museum of Ukraine in the presence of the first ladies of Ukraine and Georgia. The unique exposition of 35 pictures that the Georgian master painted between 1895 and 1917, on loan from the National Museum of Georgia’s collection, will remain open until May 14.
The works of this world-acclaimed Georgian artist have been exhibited twice in Ukraine: in 1931 in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Odesa (a traveling exhibition on loan from the National Museum of Georgia) and in 1975 in Kyiv (an exhibit from Russian museum collections). The Pirosmani exhibit is a major cultural event that concludes the Year of Georgia in Ukraine.
Pirosmani’s best works are featured in the exhibit. All 35 paintings were executed in the same style. The first criterion of selection was the condition of the paintings. Thus, the paintings now on display in Kyiv are gems of the Pirosmani collection presumably founded by Dmitri Shevardnadze in the 1920s and which now hang in the National Museum of Georgia.
The museum has a total of 135 works by this artist. Other museums and private collections in Georgia have a total of 240 other paintings by Pirosmani: in Kutaisi, Kakheti (the location of Pirosmani’s house- museum), and Batumi. The maximum number of paintings exhibited at any one time does not exceed 20-30 percent, and the rest of his collection is stored in the museum’s vault. But the exhibits are constantly changed.
According to Professor David Lordkipanidze, curator of the National Museum of Georgia, who attended the opening ceremony and acted as a guide for the first ladies, there is no dearth of requests to display Pirosmani’s pictures in various corners of the world. “Lately, there has been a virtual Pirosmani boom in Japan. The Japanese have even transcribed a song into Japanese, called ‘A Million Scarlet Roses,’ which recounts a legend from Pirosmani’s life,” the Georgian curator said.
Lordkipanidze pointed out that organizing an exhibit of Pirosmani’s works is an arduous process, as Georgian laws and governmental guarantees must be strictly met. The Kyiv exhibit may travel to Japan or France, which have long been on the waiting list. The Kyiv exhibit is the first one after the lifting of a five-year moratorium on removing any national valuables from Georgia.
Patrons Dmytro Andriyevsky and Ihor Voronov said that the team formed in conjunction with the Embassy of Georgia worked for four months to implement the project. A special catalogue was published for the inauguration. These two patrons believe that there is a growing need for art patronage. The role of public initiatives is increasing, but there is a need for non-governmental sources for funding art, culture, and education. To develop art patronage, Ukraine should first pass appropriate laws. The public’s attention must be focused on problems of national culture, and socio-cultural initiatives of various organizations and individuals should have informational support. Lack of information on patronage is somewhat slowing down its development.
The exhibit organizers are hoping to break through this informational vacuum. The curators are expecting to see long lines, with tickets costing between 1 and 10 hryvnias. The common perception is that this project has definitely created a precedent that shows a glimmer of hope that Ukraine will finally become a truly European country capable of organizing prestigious exhibitions like the Pirosmani one. Judging by the excitement of the sophisticated crowd at the opening, there is no doubt that the show will be a success.
