Take a Trip through Time at the Georgian Art Palace!
Art Palace is my favorite history museum in the whole of Georgia- reminiscent of the old English country houses that are open to the public, but so much more personal, friendlier and varied.
The building of the Art Palace (officially known as the Georgian State Museum of Theater, Music, Cinema and Choreography) was built at the end of 19th century by famous architect Paul Stern and is a fine example of Islamic-Gothic works. In 1927, it became home to the Theater Museum and since undergoing extensive renovations in the past decade, has opened itself up to be able to house over 300,000 exhibits and display both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
The house itself has a romantic history as it was brought and extended by Count Konstantin von Oldenburg (1850-1906), who fell in love and married Agrapina Japaridze, having tempted her away from her husband Prince Tariel Dadiani of Mingrelia.
You can feel the warmth of their love, and the care taken to renovate the museum, as soon as you step through the gate. Head up the stairs to the ticket office, pay the bargain price of 2 GEL ($0.80), only going up by one or two more Lari when the temporary exhibitions are on, and begin exploring. My favorite part is the spiral wooden staircase, accessed from the yard, which leads up past portraits of well-known Georgian nobles and artists, to the exhibition rooms on the second floor. Make sure you look up- the ceilings are painted so beautifully, it almost makes you want to lay down to appreciate them some more!
The wooden floors creak deliciously, as they should in all old museums of worth, and the temperature is comfortable, allowing you time to discover the treasures on display, which includes artwork by Pirosmani, Petre Otskheli and other famous Georgian artists of the 20th century, instruments and notes once owned (or created) by Georgia’s top musicians and composers, Soviet-era posters and building plans related to theaters, and various costumes belonging to the fields of ballet and theater. The museum also has a collection of costumes from popular 20th century movies, including “Color of Pomegranates” by Sergei Parajanov (1968).
Every turn reveals another key into what makes Georgia so rich in terms of culture and history. Keep your eyes open for the original wall painting in some almost-hidden corners of the rooms as, during renovation, three layers of decoration were uncovered, dating right back to the original style. Some of those patterns have been taken up by modern artists and replicated, while sections of the original work have been left intact.
The main exhibition in and of itself, as well as the atmosphere, is sure to draw you back to the Art Palace again and again, but so should the temporary exhibitions, which are advertised regularly on their facebook page (see below). They have shown the works of numerous top artists, including Picasso, and showcased various fascinating pieces, such as Napoleon Bonaparte’s death mask and works related to William Shakespeare and Marvel films. The museum team is also very active in the promotion of Georgian art and culture, at least twice a year putting together bilingual (English-Georgian) publications on various historical figures and aspects of the Georgian Arts, in order to raise awareness among both guests and locals. For such work, they were awarded a prize by Europa Nostra and also given a Special Mention Award.
If you have children, be sure to ask the Art Palace about their education programs- usually for school groups but they'll let individual young ones join if you ask. They can learn the history of animation, costume, greetings cards and more. Each workshop involves an interactive presentation and a make-your-own session with arts and crafts.
Don’t miss out on this truly special location in the capital city, Tbilisi, get yourself over to Art Palace...again and again!
By Katie Ruth Davies
WHERE: 6 Kargareteli Str., Tbilisi
TEL (+995) 295 35 63
www.facebook.com/artpalace.ge/
OPEN Tuesday-Sunday, 12 PM – 5 PM
Tickets: Adult –2 GEL, Students and School children –1 GEL.