SCOMPARIZIONE / DISAPPEARED

November 26–28, 2021

Palazzo Velli Expo will host the exhibition "Scomparizione" by Giorgio Abkhasi.

For the very first time, the public will have the opportunity to view the artworks of Giorgio Abkhasi, one of the most renowned Georgian artists active in Europe during his time.

Giorgio Abkhasi was one of the most famous Georgian artists of his era in Europe. His work revolutionized Italian culture in the 20th century, and his contributions to Italian art and set design remain highly significant. Although more than 128 years have passed since his birth, his name endures, and his creations remain relevant today.

He was a modernist set and costume designer, as well as a founding figure of the Italian School of Scenography. A progressive and socially active thinker, he approached both his diplomatic missions and his work in set design with brilliance and creativity.

Giorgio Abkhasi was born in 1892 in Manglisi, Georgia, the second son of Prince Giorgio Abkhasi (1855–1901).

His ancestors were noble princes who left Abkhazia in the 17th century to escape Muslim oppression, settling in the village of Kardanakhi in Kakheti. Throughout this migration, the Abkhasi family retained its princely title. Giorgio also held noble lineage on his mother's side, as she was a descendant of the Von Benckendorff family. From 1930 onwards, Abkhasi collaborated actively with numerous theaters and creative groups in Rome and Milan. He served as the artistic director for many productions and undertook various roles within the theater world. He acted as a co-director and co-creator, crafting extraordinary atmospheres through his set designs and costumes. Over his thirty-year creative career, he designed sets for more than 50 theatrical productions and created costumes for both stage and screen. Abkhasi also worked as an illustrator for various Italian books and magazines.

In Soviet Georgia, Abkhasi’s work in Italy was unknown; worse still, even mentioning his name was forbidden. With the close of the 1980s and the rise of the national movement from the ashes of the Soviet Union, the names of those who fought for the country's independence were restored to prominence.

The largest collection of Giorgio Abkhasi’s work is held in the archives of the Rome Opera House. Thanks to the support of Dr. Alessandra Malusardi—an official at the Rome Opera House—we now have the opportunity to showcase his contribution to European art and to celebrate, once again in his homeland, the name of a talented creator who had been unjustly forgotten.

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Opening: Friday, November 26 at 6:30 PM (by invitation).

The evening will feature live music by the Musica Creator Polyphonic Choir, conducted by Maestro Laura Gogiashvili, as well as a tasting of Georgian wines.

This event is held under the patronage of the MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF GEORGIA.

The exhibition was conceived and curated by Neno Gabelia, Youth Ambassador of Georgia to Italy (2018–2019).

Scientific Committee

Dr. Neno Gabelia

Dr. Romina Gurashi

Dr. Alessandra Malusardi

Elene Tsertsvadze

Teo Rekhviashvili