TKESHI
New Media Art & Diverse Music Festival
Open Statement
TKESHI began in 2020 as an event series. Since then, we have managed to establish a full-scale new media art and diverse music festival at a unique location, at the pine forest near Kojori, just outside Tbilisi. Over the years, we have hosted around 70 Georgian and international artists, presenting audiovisual performances, installations, and a variety of public activities.
Our vision has always been rooted in taking new media art and audio visual practices to open, natural environments — connecting people through art, sound, and nature. At the same time, we are committed to supporting the growth of the new media art scene and ecosystem in Georgia. Considering that since 2021, Tbilisi has held the status of a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts.
However, since late 2024, Georgia has entered a period of political crisis. The passing of repressive laws, the manipulation of elections, and increasing state pressure on civil society — including the independent cultural and creative sectors — have all intensified. Today, independent artistic initiatives in Georgia face daily struggles to survive and function under oppressive conditions.
This year, TKESHI Festival — like many other open-air cultural initiatives — was officially denied permission by Tbilisi City Hall to hold the event at its usual forest location, citing "safety concerns." Although we began working on the 2025 edition a year in advance, the political destabilization that escalated in the autumn of 2024 cast serious doubt on whether the festival could go forward at all.
This open statement from the festival team aims to share and raise awareness of our current situation. Despite all obstacles, and in the absence of public funding or municipal support, we have decided to proceed with TKESHI 2025 using the resources we do have. The festival will now take place on 17–18 July 2025 across four venues in Tbilisi: TES, Tbili Orgia, Leftbank, and Mutantradio.
This is a challenging and risky decision — but we are looking forward to meeting our audience once again, with a diverse and exciting program ahead.
TKESHI emerged from the desire to break through urban monotony and (re)unite with nature.
Born in 2020 as an online event series in response to the Covid-19 pandemic,
TKESHI aimed to foster connection and creativity in a digital landscape, eventually finding its physical manifestation in the depths of phantasmagoric Kojori Pine Forest in summer 2021.
With its versatile format and collaborative ethos, TKESHI continues to evolve as a platform for multi-perspective experiences and vibrant community engagement, reconciling technologically driven forms of art with pristine natural landscapes and promoting synergy of the deep aural, sensory, and visual experiences among the visitors.