Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

 

Thea Djordjadze
August 30–November 28, 2008
Cologne

The installations, objects and drawings of Thea Djordjadze echo the atmosphere of various art-historical and cultural-historical contexts. After completing her art studies in Tbilisi and Amsterdam, and during her time at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (studying under Dieter Krieg, then Rosemarie Trockel), the artist started work on a series of performances, which define a new framework for communicative exchange and experiences. Between 1999 and 2003 Thea Djordjadze exhibited extensively both regionally and internationally with the artist collective hobbypopMUSEUM, founded by students of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Since 2002 she has had solo exhibitions in Potsdam (Brandenburgischer Kunstverein), Berlin (Mickey Schubert), London (Studio Voltaire, Sprüth Mager with Rosemarie Trockel) and Nuremberg (Kunstverein). Her works have also been shown in numerous group exhibitions such as the recent Karma International (Zurich), at the Kölnischer Kunstverein (Cologne), Museum Kurhaus Kleve, and at both the Lyon Biennial 2007 and the Berlin Biennial 2008.

 

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“It is the gaze of the flâneur, whose way of living still bestowed a conciliatory gleam over the growing destitution of men in the great city.” (Walter Benjamin)

The large exhibition space of the gallery is transformed into a “place”: a passageway enclosed by an modernistic form. In the long narrow corridor the viewer finds glass cabinets containing sculptures and objects. The “arcade” is also a meeting place, a thoroughfare and a space of transformation, which bears traces and inspires both the flâneur and the visitor. The favourite meeting places of the surrealists are a source of inspiration to the artist; they met in the streets and arcades of Paris, often situated at the hub of street life amid brothels and trade. For Thea Djordjadze these places represent points of contact with real life: they become sources of friction and moments of inspiration for the heterogeneous and the unthinkable – they become thresholds. These aspects inspired the fluid and, at the same time, tiered installation, in which, by strolling leisurely and with a successive, wandering gaze, the viewer leaves traces of him- or herself.

Walter Benjamin’s unfinished Arcades Project, a work dedicated to the urban spaces of the 19th century metropolis, which constructs topographies of memory, also deals with the traces of constellations left in a space; this is a central point of reference for Thea Djordjadze. Montage and a panoptic view of various angles are integral to the installation, analogous to Benjamin’s original concept for the Arcades Project to become a montage of quotes. The moment of friction and encounter is further evoked in the space surrounding the arcade sculpture, with a sculptural counterpart that Thea Djordjadze created out of jute.

 

Installation Views
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Details
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Cologne, August 30–November 28, 2008

Details
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Exhibited Works
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Caisse de résonance, 2008
More views

Thea Djordjadze
Caisse de résonance, 2008
Cardboard, paint, PVC
79 × 42 × 42 cm
31 × 16 1/2 × 16 1/2 inches

More views
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008
More views

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008
Wood, glass, oil on canvas, watercolor on paper, jute, clay, plaster
392 × 202 × 212 cm
154 1/4 × 79 1/2 × 83 1/2 inches

More views
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Ohne Titel (Gerüst 1)/Untitled (framework 1), 2008

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
Wood, clay
178 × 30 × 18 cm
70 × 11 7/8 × 7 inches

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Ohne Titel (Gerüst 2)/Untitled (framework), 2008

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
Wood, oil on linen, clay
220 × 26 × 11 cm (framework + clay)
50 × 60 cm (linen)
86 5/8 × 10 1/4 × 4 1/4 inches (framework + clay)
19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches (linen)

Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Untitled , 2008
More views

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
Clay, wood, jute
105 × 20 cm
34 × 25 × 28 cm
30 × 45 × 30 cm (pedestal)
41 3/8 × 7 7/8 inches
13 3/8 × 9 7/8 × 11 inches
11 7/8 × 17 3/4 × 11 7/8 inches (pedestal)

More views
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
More views

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
Cardboard
46 × 14 × 48 cm
18 × 5 1/2 × 19 inches

More views
Details
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Caisse de résonance, 2008
Cardboard, paint, PVC
79 × 42 × 42 cm
31 × 16 1/2 × 16 1/2 inches

Thea Djordjadze
Caisse de résonance, 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Caisse de résonance, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Caisse de résonance, 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Caisse de résonance, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Caisse de résonance, 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008
Wood, glass, oil on canvas, watercolor on paper, jute, clay, plaster
392 × 202 × 212 cm
154 1/4 × 79 1/2 × 83 1/2 inches

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past, 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past (detail), 2008
Watercolor on paper

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past (detail), 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past (detail), 2008
Watercolor on paper

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past (detail), 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past (detail), 2008
Watercolor on paper

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past (detail), 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past (detail), 2008
Watercolor on paper

Thea Djordjadze
Time future contained in time past (detail), 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
Wood, clay
178 × 30 × 18 cm
70 × 11 7/8 × 7 inches

Thea Djordjadze
Ohne Titel (Gerüst 1)/Untitled (framework 1), 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
Wood, oil on linen, clay
220 × 26 × 11 cm (framework + clay)
50 × 60 cm (linen)
86 5/8 × 10 1/4 × 4 1/4 inches (framework + clay)
19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches (linen)

Thea Djordjadze
Ohne Titel (Gerüst 2)/Untitled (framework), 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
Clay, wood, jute
105 × 20 cm
34 × 25 × 28 cm
30 × 45 × 30 cm (pedestal)
41 3/8 × 7 7/8 inches
13 3/8 × 9 7/8 × 11 inches
11 7/8 × 17 3/4 × 11 7/8 inches (pedestal)

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled , 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Ohne Titel/Untitled , 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Ohne Titel/Untitled , 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Ohne Titel/Untitled , 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled , 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Ohne Titel/Untitled , 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
Cardboard
46 × 14 × 48 cm
18 × 5 1/2 × 19 inches

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne
Thea Djordjadze – Thea Djordjadze – Cologne

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled, 2008 (detail)

Thea Djordjadze
Untitled (box), 2008
Details
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Selected Press

Thea Djordjadze, Delicacy, vitrines and Modernism; scaffolding, relics and arcades
Frieze, article by Quinn Latimer, September, 2009