Esel zu vermieten (Asel naprakat), 1918/19

Ilia Zdanevich (1894–1973), Donkey for hire (Asel naprakat), 1918/19.
Ilia Zdanevich (1894–1973), Donkey for hire (Asel naprakat), 1918/19.
Text by Mzia Chikhradze
During the beginning of the 1910s, the Russian Futurists worked together with their Georgian colleagues in Tbilisi in the pursuit of artistic research. The freedom to work against the academy was typical of the aims of the movement and was reflected in the design of Futurist books produced first in Russia, and then in Tbilisi. In particular, the books produced from 1917 to 1919 are among the most important artistic artifacts from the rich cultural life of Tbilisi. They present a strong example of the multicultural and international collaborations that...
Ilia Zdanevich (known also as Iliazd or Eli Eganbjuri) is a figure that only the early 20th century could produce: Avant-garde artist, writer, collector, publisher, typographer, researcher, Dadaist, graphic designer, performer, fashion designer, promoter and catalyst of the arts in Georgia, Russia, and France.