Mariam Akhobadze: Static Exercises

Exhibition Launch

Mariam Akhobadze: Static Exercises

Art Foundation Anagi, in collaboration with “The Why Not Gallery”, presents Mariam Akhobadze’s solo exhibition “Static Exercises.”

 Date: April 15, 2026

 Time: 7:00 PM

 Location: Art Foundation Anagi, 12 Zurab Avalishvili Street, Park Home Vake

 Admission: Free

The exhibition will be on view until April 30, 2026.

This series of paintings by the young artist focuses on the physical body. Suspended in free fall, dynamic motion, or sculptural stillness, stylized figures execute gymnastic gestures within spaces where perspective dissolves and time appears slowed.

The pastel tones of the figures and space contrast with the intense rainbow hues of a plastic toy. A familiar object from childhood – the tactile slinky spring – emerges as the unifying motif of the series. Many recall the childhood myth that this colorful toy could “walk” down stairs in a rhythmic cascade. Akhobadze transforms this memory into a visual narrative: the slinky traverses from one canvas to another, conceptually linking the compositions.

Akhobadze often structures her series around a single, seemingly simple object. Drawn to it, she places it within multiple narrative contexts. Here, the plastic slinky alternates between roles: in one work it is manipulated by gymnasts; in another, it passes from hand to hand among friends gathered in a room. At times it serves as a medium of connection, elsewhere signaling the tension embedded in relationships, and in yet another work, it becomes an object of solitary engagement during moments of reflection, idleness, or quiet thought.

In these works, introspection and disorientation, emotional rigidity, control, and spontaneity shift in a kaleidoscopic rhythm. Opposing states are transformed into play – into a series of emotional exercises. The artist orchestrates a subtle “associative game,” inviting the viewer on a journey through imagination, memory, and sensation.

 Mariam Akhobadze (b. 1990) (b. 1990) is a Georgian figurative painter. She completed her MA in Painting at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts in 2017. Notable solo exhibitions include “Ordinary Life”, Tbilisi History Museum (Karvasla), Georgian National Museum, 2021, and “Shadows Determine Time”, “The Why Not Gallery,” 2024. Selected group exhibitions include “Frozen Forest”, Abu Dhabi Art Fair, 2023, curated by “Les Radicants” and Nicolas Bourriaud. Her work has also been presented internationally, including in Israel, Italy, Poland, and Armenia.

 The Why Not Gallery

Founded in 2018 by artist Gvantsa Jishkariani and curator Elene Kapanadze, The Why Not Gallery began as an experimental, non-commercial exhibition space in a display window of an underpass. In 2020, it expanded into a fully developed gallery with an active program. The gallery focuses on supporting and promoting emerging Georgian artists and collaborates with institutions both locally and internationally. Through The Why Not Gift Shop, it produces limited-edition objects. Since 2023, the gallery has been a member of the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA).