The barriers to the construction site leave only a few meters space to navigate through to the entrance of the museum. The fine dust and piercing sounds emitted by the site and the passing cars add to the feeling of fighting oneself through the city jungle on the search for artistic inspiration. The desired place, named after the art historian and former museum’s director, is visible and stands majestically at the corner of a Y intersection projecting its neo-classical facade onto the street. Entering the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts allows you finally to breathe for a second in a paltry furnished lobby protected by two policemen. The oddity of the human security arises, as few would even have the energy to demonstrate a threat after being physically depleted from the construction site and the street noise.

A sign indicates the reason why this museum is such a different place to other museums – “under renovation”. The working tools lying in the lobby, alongside the half disappeared varnish on the doors, give the quick reason for the sign. A museum is usually a place where interior design is perfected and visitors’ space is used as an exhibition hall. But this museum is different: visitors don’t come to the museum for itself, but for specific exhibitions. The rooms reflect a certain exclusiveness which attracts art lovers only. Instagram junkies and youngsters looking to be art hipsters are difficult to spot, perhaps due to the demotivating museum design for such lifestyles.

The renovation forces most exhibition rooms to remain closed, except one, which is basically all you can get for the ticket, serving as another odd positive side-effect of the renovation. The nerve-wracking task to decide which exhibition to visit first simply doesn’t exist anymore, but the museum and exhibition ticket is combined in one. Presently, Gigo Gabashvili has the honor of inspiring the audience through his realist paintings and landscapes. His oil canvas showcase the smooth as well as rustic rural life of Georgia in the late 19th century, highlighting the mountain folks. His fame furthermore stems from his genuine and prominent orientalist portrayal of the Arab and Muslim world. In times like these, probably a great artist to start with at this odd museum. 

Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts

1 L. Gudiashvili Str. Tbilisi, Georgia 

By Benjamin Music