TKESHI
New Media Art & Diverse Music Festival
Background
TKESHI began in 2020 as an event series and has since grown into a full-scale new media art and diverse music festival at a unique location, in the pine forest near Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Over the years, it has hosted around 180 Georgian and international artists, presenting audiovisual performances, installations, and a variety of public activities, all while emerging at a time of global crisis and regional uncertainty and adapting to challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine and democratic challenges in Georgia.
Our vision has always been to bring new media art and audiovisual practices into open, natural environments, connecting people through art, sound, and nature, while supporting the growth of the local new media art scene, especially since Tbilisi received the designation of a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts in 2021. Since late 2024, Georgia has faced a political crisis, marked by repressive laws, manipulated elections, and increasing state pressure on civil society, including the independent cultural and creative sectors, leaving independent artistic initiatives to struggle daily under the circumstances of ongoing protests that have been taking place in the country for nearly a year. In this context, like many other cultural events and projects, TKESHI Festival was denied permission by Tbilisi City Hall to use its usual forest location
TKESHI Lisboa Edition 2026
Due to the challenging circumstances in Georgia, which limit the possibility of holding the TKESHI Festival locally, we have decided, together with our international colleagues and partners, to present the festival in a different context and platform abroad. Lisbon is not a random choice: in recent years, emerging security concerns and a rising wave of authoritarianism have often highlighted the significance of Europe’s new borders: from Tbilisi to Lisbon - as a concept for safeguarding democratic space. Therefore, in collaboration with local partners, we have begun preparations to present a TKESHI Festival showcase in Lisbon.
Main Focuses:
Georgian showcase featuring audiovisual, sonic, and sound artists
Collaborative lab project and co-commissioning with local partners
International showcase and exchange platform
Portuguese partner projects (RnA Studio, Lisbon, and others)
Artistic residencies and educational programs
Focus on inclusive practices, ecology, and care within art and technology