Ubani — Tbilisi Cityscape Research Center and TBC Concept Gallery invite you to the exhibition Tbilisi — Risingland. The exhibition presents the outcomes of a work focused on critical representations of the geological intimacy of Tbilisi through the creation of three-dimensional hand-made models.

The exhibition showcases handmade works created during last year’s seminar organized by Ubani and led by Italian architect and theorist Renato Rizzi, including an orthogonal model of Tbilisi with increased verticalities that create an intensified perspective, a model of Metekhi Cliff that explores the interiority of the city’s elevations, silicone negatives, photographs, and two panels: one panel features isometric images of Tbilisi, while the other displays each of the full-page spreads from L’Ottava Vita (per Brilka), a book by Nino Haratischvili. This pairing connects to the project’s core theme: a dialogue between architecture and literature that both emerge from the same historical and geological landscape.

The seminar was held in September 2025 as part of Ubani — Tbilisi Cityscape Research Center’s educational program and was led by Italian architect and theorist Renato Rizzi, together with his assistants Susanna Pisciella, Giorgia Antonioli, and David Brodsky. The seminar involved around 100 participants- both local and international students and young professionals.

Ubani — Tbilisi Cityscape Research Center is a non-profit organisation with the mission of gathering and presenting knowledge about Tbilisi’s landscape, architecture, and urban environment.

Renato Rizzi is an architect and educator based in Venice, Italy. He is a full professor of architectural design at IUAV University of Venice and a member of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca in Rome. In 2018, he received the Italian Republic Award.

Project partners: Embassy of Italy in Georgia; Kinos Hub; Gravita; ibis Budget Tbilisi Center; IUAV University of Venice; Apollon Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Arts; Ilia State University (IIiauni B.Arch)

A special thank you to Marsilio Editori (Italian publishing house), VA[A]DS Free University of Tbilisi, Jesse Vogler, and Malkhaz Lekveishvili.

As part of the exhibition, a lecture by Renato Rizzi will be held on February 28 at 19:00. To attend, please register via the following link: https://www.conceptevents.ge/

Exhibition opening: Saturday, February 28, 5 pm.

The exhibition will be hosted by the multifunctional space of TBC Concept (7 Marjanishvili Street) until April 24.

With many years of experience, TBC Bank actively supports cultural projects that serve the preservation of national values, the development of Georgian art, and the promotion of cultural heritage.

TBC Concept Gallery creates a space for dialogue between art, education, and research. The project Tbilisi — Risingland belongs precisely to those initiatives that bring new meaning to the city’s cultural and intellectual life and share international experience with young professionals.

(R)