Kakheti is the hottest region in Georgia and it is famous for its severe climate during summer time. Under the blistering sun, among the poor villages and dried out fields there is an odd place. An oasis with a perfect landscape, shiny pools and evergreen lawns. This is a luxury Resort at the periphery of which territory the art residency is located. The Resort’s guests are hardly aware of the artist's presence, their leisure time is undisturbed. Endless golf courses and perfect lawns are meticulously cared for by the staff. There is its own microclimate here, and even if the wind brings smoke from the fields burning on the outside, the guests can always hide at their hotel or villa, dive in water, visit the stables or concentrate on their game.

A perfect spot/environment for resting idly, this place itself seems like an accurate depiction of the world today (current). During 2022, the wars go on, new conflicts emerge, and the eco crisis escalates. Nevertheless, amongst it all there is always a space for boredom and leisure – at least for those who can afford it.
The disregard for/denial of reality and other coping mechanisms is a theme of this project. And the environment itself is its participant.

Scorpio Season is the final performance within the Series. The act takes place at the helicopter pad in the middle of the Resort. The costume for this performance is created of household materials, tools, protective clothing and workwear, objects related to housework, routine, martial arts and cheap labour.

As it often is in my performances – the persona here implicates a multitude of images, like a collage ensembled of different picture parts. It may appear as strange or creepy, comical and disturbing, or all at the same time. During performance this odd figure moves in circles repeatedly, dragging on with difficulty following the circled line on the asphalt ground.
In the early stages of the project performances ideas were developed based on the unconscious associations with different coping behaviours. Series of discussions were held later on, with curators and a clinical psychologist and psychiatrist specializing in behavioural studies. After finalizing the ideas and creating costumes for the performances, the final stage of the project was a series of live performances. The audience for these acts was never purposely invited. Only random hotel guests and golf players could become spectators by chance or in case when one of the performances took place on the roadside out of the resort, people from the closest village and the drivers passing by.
Video and photo documentation of these performances became the basis for several new projects later on. Video works, installations and objects were shown at the group and solo exhibitions in Georgia, Switzerland and New York.

The Coping Times Series is a continuation of my performative practice as a non verbal research on human behaviour.