The first edition of this Triennial, entitled Offside Effect, will take place from October 19 until November 20, 2012.

In the world of visual art, many events have come to the fore with a strong focus on the art academy’s status in both the cultural and theoretical arena. Strikingly, these events all seemed to continuously draw attention to strict and one-dimensional processes such as the introduction of the Bologna regulations in the art academy or attempts to define artistic knowledge production. Those forms of one-dimensionality necessitate investigating anew what art academies are about. This time in multiple and fluid modes, where art academies can emerge as temporary, autonomous sanctuaries for artistic thinking—in fact the utmost and decisive factor in art education.

In order to tackle such forms of one-dimensionality and replace them by fluent modes of investigation, CCA Tbilisi has recently initiated to organize an idiosyncratic dissemination platform: a Triennial not only implying visual art, but also including a focus on art education and its related forms of research.

The notion of Offside Effect can be understood in various metaphoric modes. For example, in the mode of artistic thinking breaking through formalized frameworks of knowledge production. Or in the mode of agonistic, heterogeneous forms of laboratory-based education remedying homogenizing approaches. The ultimate ambition of the Tbilisi Triennial Offside Effect is to map a variety of practises in the form of activities, economics, methodologies, and strategies all connected with the experimental field of artistic thinking.

Various curatorial tools will be deployed in Offside Effect. Firstly, four keynote artists will be invited, i.e. artists who have demonstrated in their renowned practices to be able to articulate a stance with respect to art academies and art education. The four keynotes are: Hito Steyerl, Stephan Dillemuth, Anton Vidokle, and Marion von Osten.

Secondly, around twelve experimental education platforms—Maumaus (Lisboa), ISA (Habana), Staedelschule (Frankfurt), Finnish Academy of Fine Arts (Helsinki), MaHKU (Utrecht), Mildred’s Lane (New York), F+F (Zurich), AICA (Yerevan), KHAS (Istanbul), Addis Contemporary (Addis Ababa), Kaywon College (Seoul) and CCA IMP (Tbilisi)—will be asked to demonstrate and disseminate their specific view on visual art, art education, and research in a number of presentations. The ”Academy as Exhibition” is the ultimate curatorial position Offside Effect will take.

In the opening week of the Triennial, various practises will be discussed further in a number of fora. In addition to the keynotes and a multitude of institute representatives such as Rene Francisco, Nikolaus Hirsch, Lucrezia Cippitelli, Inci Evinir, Mark Dion & Morgan Puett, Tiong Ang, Juergen Bock, Annette Krauss, Youngjune Lee, Jan Kaila, Sami van Ingen, the project will also involve speakers such as a.o. Mick Wilson (Gradcam, Dublin) and Gao Shiming (School of Intermedia, China Academy Hangzhou).

Curators: 
Henk Slager: Dean MaHKU (Utrecht Graduate School of Visual Art and Design), Visiting Professor of Artistic Research (Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki), and Curator of a.o. Flash Cube (Leeum, Seoul, 2007), Translocalmotion (7th Shanghai Biennale 2008), Nameless Science (Apex Art, New York, 2009), Critique of Archival Reason (RHA Dublin 2010), As the Academy Turns (Collaborative project Manifesta, 2010), and Any-medium-whatever (Georgian Pavilion, Venice Biennale, 2011).
Wato Tsereteli: Artist, Curator, Founding Director CCA – Tbilisi, Founder and Head of Department Photography at Tbilisi State Art Academy. He curated approximately twenty exhibitions, including: Utopia, Zum Dokumentarischen in der kaukasischen Fotografie (IFA Gallery Berlin 2005); Neo Geo (Art Moscow 2004); Appendix I and II, 2001–2003 (Tbilisi 2001-2003).

Venues: 

• CCA Tbilisi, 10. Dodo Abashidze st. 0102 Tbilisi
• Georgian National Museum, 1. Gudiashvili st. 0105 Tbilisi
• Museum for Literature, 8. Chanturia 0108 Tbilisi
• The Europe House, 2/1. Sh. Dadiani Liberty 0105 Tbilisi
• State Academy of the Arts, 22. Griboedov 0108 Tbilisi