Dali in Georgia

An exhibition of the works of the Spanish-Catalan painter and sculptor
in the former estate of the Chavchavadze family
There is a big celebration going on in the village of Tsinandali, in
eastern Georgia - on the former estate of the aristocratic
Chavchavadze dynasty an exhibition of works by the Spanish-Catalan
painter and sculptor Salvador Dali has opened. The estate itself is
unique in Georgia and the Caucasus – the Chavchavadze princes clearly
wanted to create a smaller Versailles on Kakhetian land. The huge
palace’s garden was designed in the style of the French kings, with
mown lawns and fountains.

At face value, this distant echo of the Baroque style is the
antithesis of the creative revolutionary spirit of the great art
reformer Dali. However, the ambience of the 19th century garden
(where Prince Alexander Chavchavadze’s son-in-law, the great Russian
writer Alexander Griboyedov, recited "Woe from Wit" to the
accompaniment of the piano) creates an atmosphere of initiation into
elevated and beautiful things.

Altogether 17 works of Dali were brought to Tsinandali, which among
other things is considered the home of Georgian wine (it is no
coincidence it was in Tsinandali that Dumas- père competed with a
famous Kakhetian toastmaster). The works include 11 lithographs and 6
sculptures by Dali dating from the last period of his creative work,
including "Surrealist Angel ", "Cubist Angel", "Venus", "Head of
Beethoven", "Exalted Moments" and "The Table". According to art
critics, these works precisely convey the ebullient energy of the
artist, his great talent and indefatigable yearning to stretch
creative limits and horizons. On the other hand, generally speaking,
Dali’s works are not for the faint-hearted. "Venus", exhibited in
Tsinandali, may cause real shock among traditional art lovers.
However, as Dali said, "gods and angels cannot be portrayed by poets -
this is the artists’ lot”.

It is a two-hour drive from Tbilisi to Tsinandali. Nevertheless,
hundreds of people come from the capital specially to see the works by
Dali. Distance is the main obstacle, with entrance tickets costing
just 5 lari (about three dollars). The exhibition will last three
months, so that all worshippers of Dali and surrealism will have a
chance to see them in the ancient land of Kakheti.