To help you get the most out of your stay we have created this simple walking guide to Tbilisi’s best contemporary art galleries. You can follow along below or go it alone with this map that we put together for you.
Distance: 4 km
Estimated time: 3 – 4 hours
Getting Started
Get started with your afternoon by taking a cab or the metro to Freedom Square in Tbilisi’s old town. Starting from the Courtyard Marriot we recommend walking up Giorgi Leonidze street. This will take you through a fabulous stretch of Sololaki, one of Tbilisi’s most impressive Art Nouveau neighborhoods, known for “its picturesque marble and wrought iron staircases, its façades and carved wooden balconies.” Its also home to several of Tbilisi’s best art galleries.
First stop – Project Artbeat
Our first stop is Project Artbeat located at 14 Pavle Ingorokva Street. From Leonidze, turn right onto Pavle Ingorokva street.
Project ArtBeat is on the second floor. There isn’t much signage so if you don’t spot the entrance at first don’t worry. Once you’re close you’ll see a graffiti sign on the sidewalk. Head up the stairs and you’re there!
Project Artbeat is a contemporary art gallery established in 2014 by Natia Bukia, Natia Chkhartishvili and Salome Vakhania. The gallery promotes the work of Georgian and international, mid-career and emerging artists.
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 11:00 – 19:00, Friday and Saturday 9:00 – 17:00. Closed Mondays and Sundays.
Phone: +995 577034204
Second stop – Erti Gallery
From Project Artbeat we are only a few blocks away to our next stop. Turn left onto Pavle Ingorokva and walk about 10 meters until you get to 9th of April Street. Turn right. On your left you will find Erti Gallery located at 5 9th of April Street, Building B; Space 1.
Erti Gallery’s main goal is to promote Georgian contemporary art both in Georgia and abroad. The gallery focuses on art, which is innovative at its origin and creates a strong visual and cognitive impact. Erti Gallery has also published a very helpful brief introduction to Georgian contemporary art.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh6AsVQnRq2/?taken-by=erti_gallery
Gallery Hours: 12:00 -19:00.
Phone: +995 599 459 088
Third stop – Fotografia Gallery
The next stop on our art gallery walk will take us to Fotografia, one of Tbilisi’s only limited edition print photography galleries. From Erti Gallery turn left heading down the hill towards Rustaveli. Once you get to Rustaveli, turn left again. Walk past the old Parliament of Georgia building and take the first underpass. Coming out of the underpass you should find yourself in front of Kashveti Church of Saint George. Continue on Rustaveli until you reach the Tbilisi Marriot a half block away on Gia Chanturia Street.
Turn right and head down the hill walking along 9th of April Park. Then turn left onto Revaz Tabukashvili. Fotografia is on the right located at 21 Revaz Tabukashvili Street.
Fotografia is Tbilisi’s first limited edition print photography gallery dedicated exclusively to supporting the work of local and international photographers. Established in 2017 by American-born photographer, Ryan McCarrel, and Georgian visual artist, Giorgi Rodionov, the gallery’s mission is to raise awareness of the significant contributions made by the Georgian photographic community to the visual arts.
Fotografia is also home to Minimalist • მინიმალისტი a concept coffee shop and wine bar that serves craft beer. If it’s mid-summer then you may want to stop for refreshments while chatting with helpful gallery staff about Georgia’s art scene.
Hours: Friday & Saturday 10:00 – 20:00, Sunday & Monday 10:00 – 18:00. Tuesday – Thursday 12:00 – 20:00.
Phone: +995 599 093 444
Fourth stop – ArtArea
The last leg of your walk will take you across Dry Bridge Market where you can find all sorts of old Soviet knickknacks. You can also enjoy the work of local painters who sell their work in the park next to the bridge.
To get ArtArea from Fotografia you need to turn left from the gallery onto Tabukashvili and walk back towards 9th of April Park. Continue down the hill. Once you’ve crossed the Mtkvari river you’ll want to turn left on Dmitri Uznadze Street. You will continue along this street passing the famous Alexander Griboedov statue until you come to Dodo Abashidze street. From here turn left and you will find yourself at an old abandoned Soviet electrical plant that has been transformed into a creative exhibition space for artists – Artarea – located at 10 Dodo Abashidze street.
Artarea doesn’t always have exhibits so it may be worth calling or checking their facebook page in advance. However, we recommend visiting just to take in the beautiful space even if an exhibit is not officially on.
Gallery Hours: 12:00 – 18:00
Phone: +995 599 91 05 06
We hope you enjoyed your art walk!
Please let us know in the comments below if you would add any galleries to this walk or if you have any other suggestions. We’d also love to hear which were your favorite galleries along the way.
A walking guide for Tbilisi’s best art galleries