TBC Concept Gallery presents the exhibition “Guram Tikanadze - Defeated Giants” as part of the "Kolga Tbilisi Photo 2026" project.

The exhibition features a series of mountain photographs by Guram Tikanadze, in which man and nature coexist in complex, subtle, and multilayered relationship.

In Tikanadze's photographs, the mountain is alive, diverse, and powerful. His diaries describe an environment in which constant movement, vigilance, and novelty are indispensable conditions for survival. This experience is directly reflected in his photographs, where each frame conveys the feeling experienced at the moment of shooting. In his diary, titled “Defeated Giants” Tikanadze writes: "We see the energy of a drop, the force of frost and the firmness of a rock not with the naked eye, but rather, we feel and understand their effect, and perhaps this too, is the motivation for our mountaineering…"

In his works, man, as an active figure, takes shape only through interaction with space. He creates a clear contrast of scale with the enormous mountain, simultaneously revealing human capabilities and limitations.

“Defeated Giants” do not signify defeat of nature; mountaineering is not an act of conquest. His works depict a state in which man constantly encounters force, which is superior to him, and it is just in this encounter that his existence acquires meaning. This is a process in which man adapts to the rhythm of nature. In this context, mountains and mountaineering turn into art – a visual language of movement, balance and risk.

Guram Tikanadze (1932–1963) was a Georgian photographer and mountaineer, whose work occupies an important place in Georgian art.

Guram Tikanadze was born in Kviriketi, studied at Tbilisi Public School No. 1, and received his higher education at the Faculty of Geography and Geology at Tbilisi State University. He also worked at the Institute of Geography of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. In 1959 he began his professional career as a photojournalist for “Drosha” magazine. That same year, Guram Tikanadze received a silver medal at the International Festival of Youth and Students in Vienna for his photograph “Ole, Ole, Lonely Tree,” the first international award in the history of Georgian photography. His work was published in various international publications.

From 1962 he headed the photosection of the Georgian Journalists’ Union. At the same time, Tikanadze was actively involved in mountaineering. He conquered up to 40 peaks in the Caucasus and Pamirs and participated in challenging expeditions, including the Traverse, where he conquered 14 out of the 16 peaks.

In 1963, while descending from Shkhara, Guram Tikanadze perished tragically.

His work is an important legacy in the history of Georgian art. It encompasses mountains, mountaineering, sports, urban life, and everyday life.

Tikanadze created a free visual language that transcended the limitations of the era and remains relevant to this day.

Curated by Mariam Tsikaridze

Assistant Curator: Mari Makharoblishvili

Address: TBC Concept Gallery Multifunctional Space, Marjanishvili St. 7.

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

“Kolga Tbilisi Photo” celebrates its 25th anniversary and presents Guram Tikanadze’s archival photo album. The publication is supported by TBC.