Edicola dei Randagi - Shrine of the Strays is a sculptural installation incorporating metal plates worked according to the traditional Georgian iconographic technique, now almost forgotten, in dialogue with the medieval architecture of Citerna. On each plate a stray dog is engraved: countless figures in the artist’s native city of Tbilisi, here transformed into urban “relics.” Stray dogs—now an integral part of urban life—have names and stories, and form unique bonds with the residents of their neighborhoods. These small, everyday stories are elevated to symbols, with the same dignity as war chronicles, the lives of saints, or the biographies of kings. The work brings to light the tension between the wild and the domesticity, power and solidarity, inviting reflection on the poetic value of marginal narratives.
The technique itself is on the verge of disappearing: it belongs to the traditional iconographic format of Georgian Orthodox Christian culture, executed using historically rooted materials and skills that are today almost entirely forgotten. The project also becomes an act of cultural preservation, reviving not only a craft tradition but also a visual language that is slowly disappearing. Stray dogs are an integral part of Tbilisi’s urban life and reflect complex social tensions and dynamics. Their presence is constant yet defies simple categorization.
The project takes the form of a visual archive—a “Shrine of the Strays”—in which each depiction is titled after the neighborhood where the dog was encountered, anchoring it to a specific place and weaving a network of shared stories. The work tells a story of oppression but also of tolerance, of coexistence in shared spaces, and of complex social roles. It is a narrative in which the form of the dog remains the same, but the context shifts from one piece to another, giving each figure a personal story and a unique voice. Meparishvili offers us an urban and poetic archive that preserves a collective memory often overlooked, adding value to marginal narratives and restoring dignity to those who would otherwise remain invisible.
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Artwork:
01. Qeu Meparishvili, Edicola dei Randagi - Shrine of the Strays, 2025, mixed materials, variable dimensions.
Rocca di Citerna, Via della Rocca, Citerna (PG)
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THE DEPICTION OF STRAY DOGS GOES BEYOND MERE DOCUMENTATION. ITS POETIC DIMENSION INVITES REFLECTION ON PREDATORY INSTINCTS, THE ANIMAL WITHIN THE HUMAN AND THE HUMAN WITHIN THE ANIMAL. IT BECOMES A STORY OF OPPRESSION, TOLERANCE, SHARED SPACE, AND EVEN, TO SOME EXTENT, GENDER ROLES.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
Qeu Meparishvili (Tblisi, Georgia,1995) lives and works in Tbilisi. Her artistic practice, spanning clay sculpture and installation, is deeply influenced by her country's cultural context. Her research explores themes related to mythology, human nature, and the afterlife, translating them into symbolic and poetic forms. She studied at the Film and Theatre University and the Center of Contemporary Art, in Tbilisi. Meparishvili has participated in international artist residencies, including Salzburg Summer Academy, Salzburg (AT, 2017) and Morpho, Antwerp (BE, 2023). Her works have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including: Grey is the Cube, Blue the Ellipse, Maison de la Culture d'Amiens - MCA, Amiens (FR, 2025); A Chimera's Memorial, E. A. Shared Space, Tbilisi (GE, 2024); SIXROOMFLAT, Tbilisi (GE, 2024); Delving into Bones Liquor, Morpho, Antwerp (BE, 2023); Tsinamdzgvrishvili 49 / Mazniashvili 10, LC Queisser, Tbilisi (GE, 2023); Quiet! Someone's Singing on a Mountain…, Tbilisi (GE, 2023).
Citerna stands atop a hill at 480 meters above sea level, overlooking the Upper Tiber Valley with spectacular views spanning four regions: Umbria, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Marche. Located at the northern tip of Umbria, its strategic position made it a long-contested stronghold. Walking through the village, one breathes in the charm of ancient walls and medieval architecture, enriched by Renaissance art, including paintings by Pomarancio and Luca Signorelli, and a terracotta attributed to a young Donatello.Citerna is also the fourth stop on a spiritual and meditative trail, the Cammino di San Francesco. This land steeped in history comes to life with events like l’Invitta, a reenactment of the Barberina War between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the Papal States, and the Festa della Scartocciatura in Pistrino, celebrating the old tradition of manually peeling corn cobs. Citerna also boasts a distinctive food and wine culture, particularly tied to vinsanto, the sweet dessert wine typical of Umbria.
Giovanni Rendina is an independent researcher and curator. During the summer of 2023, he was a visiting research fellow at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds. He has curated exhibitions for Palermo Italian Capital of Culture, Art City Bologna, Live Arts Week Bologna, and Gelateria Sogni di Ghiaccio. In 2019, he was one of the winners of the sixth edition of the Italian Council. He earned a PhD from the University of Molise and previously completed a Master’s degree in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts in London.
In 2024, he published the book Arte contemporanea. Un approccio radicale as part of the Eterotopie series by Mimesis.