Chromatics: Plants, Humans and Nature

Chromatics: Plants, Humans and Nature

The temporary exhibition Chromatics: Plants, Humans and Nature connects the primary resource of natural dyeing, the plant -  with observation, experimentation, and the complex knowledge embedded within dyeing practices. The exhibition presents contemporary illustrations and an installation developed through the study of the historical dye collection preserved at the State Silk Museum. The author of the illustrations, Valery Petrov is an entomologist, biologist, and nature enthusiast affiliated with the museum, who created a series of works dedicated to dye plants native to the Caucasus for this exhibition.

The creative approach to understanding nature and observing plant life is further expanded through works by contemporary artists. The exhibition includes artistic reflections by Giorgi Shengelia and Nato Bagrationi. Giorgi Shengelia’s photographic series Plants Seen in the Museum and Nato Bagrationi’s experimental works respond to the poetic and artistic interpretation of nature, forming a visual manifesto toward renewal and a return to natural origins.

The process of natural dyeing from the collection and extraction of plants to the treatment of textiles and the creation of final pigments,  is rooted in technological knowledge and empirical experience. The archaic practices and knowledge of dyeing evolved through the interaction between humans, nature, and material. By observing familiar and unfamiliar plants from new perspectives, the exhibition encourages visitors to reconsider their relationship with nature and with the “natural” itself.

Historically, plant-based dyes have been deeply connected to specific geographical and cultural contexts. With a focus on the flora of the Caucasus, the exhibition reveals a broad spectrum of both local and imported dye resources while simultaneously presenting the diversity of their chromatic possibilities. Chromatics: Plants, Humans and Nature reflects on plants, their dyeing properties, and the living process of observing them, while encouraging reflection on the significance of nature and the necessity of reconnecting with ecological knowledge in times of contemporary crisis.

Participating Artists: Valery Petrov, Nato Bagrationi, Giorgi Shengelia

Exhibition Curator: Mariam Shergelashvili

Lead Advisor: Nino Kuprava

Exhibition Interns: Vato Maghradze, Mariam Gegidze, Elene Mardaleishvili, Nino Papuashvili

Graphic Design and Social Media: Anano Gogichadze