In the heart of Tbilisi, artists Tika Shelia and Ano Jishkariani, founders of the creative collective Around the Studio, reimagined a residential apartment as a protest-inspired installation. Their exhibition, Conspiracy Bar, opened during Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections with support from Kunsthalle Tbilisi. The show draws on personal memories and public demonstrations that erupted in response to laws passed in 2023 and 2024, which many say threaten democracy and LGBTQ+ rights.
Tbilisi: Where Protest Meets Everyday Life
The artists designed the apartment to resemble the home of a young activist. They filled the space with symbolic objects—like lasers, riot screens, whistles, and water-repellent raincoats—all of which echoed real-life protest scenes. These items were merged with familiar furnishings to blur the lines between personal space and political action.
One notable piece, the Riot Shield Screen, mimics the metal barriers often used during protests. Made of stainless steel, it features a small opening that holds a metal rose, a quiet nod to Georgia’s 2003 Rose Revolution. Another striking design, the Laser Lamp, resembles lab equipment and surveillance tools. It shines a laser onto a bird sculpture, symbolizing both watchfulness and fragility.
Bird imagery appears throughout the apartment, adding a poetic contrast to the harsh materials. The artists also created daybeds shaped like barricades, made from polished metal and softened with blankets sewn from reclaimed fabrics. These choices express the human side of resistance—resilience, rest, and emotional weight.
A Creative Space for Resistance and Dialogue
The exhibition’s name, Conspiracy Bar, refers to the Soviet-era “conspiracy apartments” where people once held secret meetings. In this context, the term speaks to a new kind of gathering—a safe, open space for expression, reflection, and cultural resistance.
“Protests happen in public, but they stay with you,” the artists shared. “They shape how you feel, how you behave, and how you live.”
Over six weeks, the apartment hosted film screenings, music concerts, and experimental theatre, encouraging political dialogue through creativity. The timing—during the election season—added urgency to the message, reminding visitors of the power of art in shaping civic conversations.
Many designers in Georgia, including Shelia and Jishkariani, have gone on strike in response to growing censorship. “The situation feels tense,” they explained, “but art and design remain essential tools in the fight for freedom.”
