Naja Orashvili

Glad to be invited by artist and researcher Bogomir Doringer to elaborate on an exhibition dedicated to the social and political importance of club culture; how and why dancefloors become the ground base of social changes and cultural transformation; how and why dance becomes a powerful weapon against oppression, a tool for free and imaginative self-expression. Dance as an act of questioning self and uniting with like-minded individuals.

Using different Medias - audio-visual images, texts, materials and artifacts, I’ll be presenting the story of BASSIANI - a club which gave birth and defined the new identity of Georgia’s youth culture and social movements. The space, which in 2018 was under threat of closure by the Government, but a massive protest Rave staged by thousands of ravers in the streets of Tbilisi forced the authorities to step back. Presenting stories of dancers who changed their minds in one club night - story of change of the entirely new generation. The concept of the club, including the name which comes from the historical mid-century Battle of Basiani after which Georgia gained independence, derives from the deep roots of Georgian folklore, national dance and collective memory. I’ll be also presenting the choreography of protest dance / dance of urgency and how the city, urban life and architecture influences individual movements, creating the characteristic image and dynamic, collective vibe.