Everything Ok not Ok
Gallery Melkweg Expo
Amsterdam
2020
Everything OK Not OK is a photographic collection that tells a paradoxical story where the mundane dominates a concrete, urban environment. The images depict young people dressed in Western clothing, occasionally accented with vibrant details or symbols of alternative subcultures. What Western audiences might interpret as subtle acts of resistance may go unnoticed or misunderstood in their own cultural context, as these struggles are no longer significant issues in the West.
For example, wearing an earring, dyeing one’s hair, or a woman smoking a cigarette might seem trivial to Western viewers, but in Tbilisi, these actions can serve as acts of defiance against societal norms, the Orthodox Church, and prevailing social expectations. Simultaneously, they represent a fundamental expression of identity of simply "being." Yet these seemingly small acts can provoke dangerous consequences.
A man perceived as feminine or someone openly expressing same-sex attraction risks severe backlash, often met with hostility or violence from others. The architecture in the photographs may strike Western viewers as exotic, but for the residents of Tbilisi, these decaying concrete structures embody their everyday reality. They stand as relics of a bygone era steeped in exclusion and intolerance a metaphor for the outdated, homophobic ideologies upheld by the Orthodox Church, which remains strongly supported by both the government and broader society. The youth depicted in the images are metaphorically imprisoned, unable to freely explore or express their identities. For them, existential struggles, such as freedom of selfhood, remain unattainable a stark reminder of the ongoing fight for basic rights in a society that resists change.