I stopped to take a gander at the nude building before me in an attempt to visualise its future. Owners, tenants, guests. Joy, regret, anxiety. Soon, it would be closed up to my eyes. The construction completed, I wouldn't be able to peer inside anymore. People would be living there, and it would then be their own private space.

The construction was never finished.

It’s humorous, yet empowering. She holds all the power she needs in the form of a bazooka. The weapon taints her calm expression with an underlying menace we somehow manage to ignore in our everyday lives. 

To me, this shows the indifference we hold in our lives to the violence that perseveres in the world. We are used to it, living with an ignorance that is bound to meet its end. We ignore the inevitable question : when shall it be? 

I used to imagine rainbows as magical gateways to the world of leprechauns, shiny glitter, fairies, and unicorns as a kid. Even after becoming a teenager, I never lost faith in magic.

In a world where everyone wants to escape reality, it's important to find joy in the simple, magical things that this reality we always avoid contains.

Despite life's challenges, discovering those little things, like rainbow spots on my walls, remains exciting and special. They remind me to appreciate the beauty and wonder all around us, even in the midst of tough times.

One day, in the midst of my dream-like reality, I found a door to a secret world. 

The carving and painting were done with delicate detail. Therefore, the finished product was exquisite. In a mesmerized trance, I started wishing that in the cold reality I found myself in, I could somehow open this mysterious door. Maybe, just maybe, a soft knock could open the door to an alternate fictional world where a permanent escape from everything awaited me.

Through it, we see Georgia’s history of being occupied and stripped of freedom but never surrendering. Moreover, the woman symbolises a silent force, a living emblem within the painted narrative. The picture is a connection between artistic expression and resilience. I still think of this woman questioning where she is now.

It had been so dark and dreary just seconds before, but with my sillouette and the twirling reflections of the raillings behind me, it was transformed into a shining, shimmering fresque. I took out my phone and posed for a picture.

Then, I put it away and kept on walking. The lights clicked back off and I felt the darkness swallow up the momentary show of shadows etched on the wall beside me.

It hardly felt real now that it was gone. The shadows on the wall had not been imagined. They were as real as the darkness, but their fleetingness made them dreamlike. And I began to doubt if I had even ever seen them.

All of the clouds suddenly became perfectly aligned with each other, building a bridge connecting the civilization under the gondolas with the mountain peaks.

I felt like I was in a completely parallel universe, divided from all of the responsibilities waiting for me under the clouds. It all just felt surreal. I couldn't tell if what I was seeing was real or me imagining it.

But in a few hours my trip came to an end. Slowly I felt all of the responsibilities crawling back up to me pulling me back in the real world.

I sank into the cushiony chair, barely taking in my surroundings before the lights dimmed, and only the stage radiantly glowed. As the room reverberated, thrummed and filled with the singer’s resounding voice, I couldn’t help but notice how some moved their fingers as to conduct, or swayed their heads, whilst others simply closed their eyes.

I knew most of them. So disparate and yet, all here to enjoy music and art at its rawest form. All here despite the difference in culture, in ethnicity, in age, or whatever other aspect of what made them who they are. All here accepting each other's presence and allowing the notes to linger peacefully in the air.

From Palestine to Ukraine, silence is complicity, and inaction perpetuates suffering. People are hesitant to act in fear of appearing “too political” about innocent people dying. These bystanders will soon realize that their inactivity unconsciously enabled injustice.

We all have the power to act, the question is whether we choose to stand on the right side of history or if we allow ourselves to be perceived as sheep with blood on our hands in the near future.

Those halls represent the history of the world, without them we wouldn't be able to understand the creation of the borders. They hold power, they give us guidance. 

Therefore, these pictures perfectly represent the theme “art and power”. They give the ability to understand, which is arguably the most important quality.

These are the walls at my great-grandparents' house, where they've been living in for the last 50 years, in the company of each other. These walls were painted by the same man who painted the Tbilisi Opera, but that doesn't matter to me, all that matters is that I see history through those walls and feel some sort of power. I've spent every "old christmas" in that living room.I've also spent some time in that living room next to my great-grandma's bedroom when her health wasn't very good. Nevertheless I've spent 16 years admiring that work of art and the antique collection. And if you ask me to choose between the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's work and my great-grandparents' murals, of course I'll choose the one which feels like home.

Placing the paintings on the ceiling rather than the walls challenges traditional norms and expectations of the art world, placing the photograph in the theme of art and power.

History textbook pages sprang to life on this land, and that is why it feels so surreal to tread it. Indeed, it is not the Colosseum or the Pantheon alone that give the city this magical feeling, but rather the trees that stood witness to Caesar assassinated, or the pavement bricks that transport you into the mind of Seneca when you step on them. And yet Rome is not archaic. It bustles with modern life, all the while whispering stories of the ancients.

The image above is a view from the terrace of the FAO headquarters in Rome.

When stepping out of the car I was taken aback by the beauty of this place. I couldn't help but stand in awe of the magnificent view unfolding before my eyes. A sudden sensation of thrill ran down my spine looking at this phenomenal view. I tried to take a picture of the view but despite my best efforts, I realized that no camera could ever truly capture the sheer majesty and serenity of this place. Every now and then i look back at this picture and reminisce the sensations I felt that day.

The match was an intense rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. Greece's statistical advantage made every minute filled with tension and worry. Yet, this tough fight made victory taste sweeter…

As Georgia scored the final penalty goal, securing their place in Euro 2024, fans flooded the stadium in a sea of red and white, the colors of the Georgian flag, to celebrate with their new heroes.

The echoes of celebration linger in my mind - car horns blaring, fireworks lighting up the sky, music filling the air, and laughter intertwining with joy.

This was more than a football victory; it touched our souls, a memory that will never fade, born from years of hope, struggle, and resilience.

As her birthday approached, she longed for something special, especially since it's our last celebration together before I leave for my studies in less than 4 months. 

We settled on Athens, Greece, a destination we've never explored together. 

This picture captures one of the most breathtaking moments: sitting in the Panathenaic Stadium, surrounded by the magnificence of Athens' monuments. It captures the overwhelming awe I experienced, but more importantly, it symbolizes the profound connection I shared with my mother in that unforgettable moment. This trip will forever remain a cherished memory, a symbol of our closeness and the memorable experiences we've had together.

I've moved a lot in my life and lived in many different countries. When you change your lifestyle, language, culture, and friends so often, you need to find certain things to feel at home. Since I was born, I always went to the opera to watch ballets in Kiev, London, Nantes, and so on. It's a hobby that my mother passed down to me and is important to me, especially when I don't feel at home somewhere. When I returned to see our favorite ballet, "The Nutcracker," I remembered all those moments my mother and I shared. When you have such a unique lifestyle, you need to find certain things in each country to feel at home.

This photo taken at a simple opera in Tbilisi means more to me than just a moment shared with friends or even some family moments. This opera allows me to feel at home, to feel good, happy, relieved, and most importantly, not to feel alone in a country I don't know well.

I remember myself sitting by the water with the breezy wind hitting my face while my ears enjoyed the ocean’s soothing melody. 

Starting off 2024 in this exact way had filled me up with a sense of peace, which made me hopeful about the year I had ahead of me. 

Every time I look back at this moment, I reminisce of how everything felt so simple, how all my worries were replaced by pure happiness. In my heart, I know this feeling of calmness is special to me and it can't be replaced by anything else.