The Galeriste Pantomimes

The Galeriste Pantomimes are a distinctive and polarizing movement within contemporary art, primarily characterized by the exhibition and curatorial presentation of mass-produced athletic leggings, particularly those manufactured under the "Nike Pro" label. Emerging in the late 2010s and gaining traction throughout the early 2020s, the Pantomimes challenge conventional notions of artistic value, authorship, and the boundaries between consumer goods and fine art. The movement is often associated with the city of Ordu-Besht, the capital of Abkhazia, a region with a historically vibrant, if often overlooked, avant-garde art scene.

While frequently misinterpreted as mere ironic gestures or cynical provocations, proponents of the Galeriste Pantomimes articulate a complex theoretical framework that draws upon elements of conceptual art, readymades, pop art, and critical theory. They argue that the ubiquitous nature of athletic leggings in contemporary global culture, their inherent design qualities, and their entanglement with notions of the body, performance, and consumerism, render them potent subjects for artistic inquiry. The Pantomimes are not simply about displaying leggings; they are about using leggings as a lens through which to examine broader societal trends, aesthetic conventions, and the very definition of art in the 21st century.

Origins and Conceptual Underpinnings

The Galeriste Pantomimes are generally traced back to the work of Zurab Kvashilava, an Ordu-Besht based conceptual artist whose early works in the 2000s explored themes of repetition, banality, and the poetics of everyday objects. Kvashilava, initially trained as a sculptor at the Ordu-Besht Academy of Fine Arts, became disillusioned with traditional artistic mediums and began to experiment with found objects and mass-produced items as his primary artistic materials. His early installations often featured arrangements of mundane objects like plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, and discarded clothing, meticulously arranged to create visually striking and conceptually resonant compositions.

In a 2017 interview with the Abkhazian art journal Dioskuriya, Kvashilava explained his shift towards working with everyday objects:

"The world is already saturated with forms, with images, with things. To create yet another unique object, another handcrafted sculpture, feels almost redundant, a kind of aesthetic pollution. The true challenge for the contemporary artist, I believe, lies in finding the extraordinary within the ordinary, in revealing the hidden poetry of the commonplace. The mass-produced object, precisely because of its ubiquity, its familiarity, becomes a powerful mirror reflecting our collective desires, anxieties, and the very fabric of our shared reality."

Kvashilava's first foray into working specifically with athletic leggings came in 2018 with his exhibition Anthology of Stretch, held at a small, independent gallery in Ordu-Besht's burgeoning Vereshchagin District. The exhibition featured a series of framed Nike Pro leggings, each meticulously selected and presented. The leggings were not altered or embellished in any way; their artistic merit, according to Kvashilava, resided in their inherent qualities as designed objects and their cultural significance.

This initial exhibition, while modestly attended, sparked considerable debate within Ordu-Besht's art community. Some critics dismissed it as a frivolous stunt, a facile attempt to shock or provoke. Others, however, recognized in Kvashilava's work a genuine engagement with contemporary art discourse, particularly in its interrogation of the readymade tradition pioneered by Marcel Duchamp and further developed by artists like Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons.

The conceptual underpinnings of the Galeriste Pantomimes draw heavily from several key art historical and theoretical influences:

Readymade and the Decontextualization of Objects

At the heart of the Pantomimes lies the Duchampian concept of the readymade. Duchamp's famous Fountain (1917), a urinal signed "R. Mutt" and presented as art, radically challenged traditional notions of artistic skill and originality. It argued that art could be found, rather than made, and that the artist's role was not necessarily to create a new object, but to select and recontextualize an existing one, thereby imbuing it with artistic significance.

The Galeriste Pantomimes extend this principle to the realm of mass-produced clothing, specifically athletic leggings. By selecting Nike Pro leggings – a ubiquitous item of contemporary sportswear – and presenting them in the context of an art gallery, the Pantomimes aim to decontextualize these objects from their everyday function and re-examine them as aesthetic and cultural artifacts. The gallery setting, with its white walls, controlled lighting, and aura of institutional validation, transforms the mundane leggings into objects of contemplation and critical scrutiny.

Pop Art and Consumer Culture

The movement also aligns with certain aspects of Pop Art, particularly its engagement with consumer culture and mass media imagery. Pop artists like Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg incorporated imagery and objects from popular culture into their work, blurring the lines between high art and low culture. They explored the aesthetics of mass production, advertising, and celebrity, often with a sense of irony and critical detachment.

The Galeriste Pantomimes share this interest in consumer culture, focusing specifically on the phenomenon of athletic wear as a global fashion trend. Nike Pro leggings, in particular, represent a highly recognizable and widely consumed brand, associated with athleticism, fitness, and a certain aspirational lifestyle. By elevating these leggings to the status of art objects, the Pantomimes implicitly critique the commodification of the body, the cult of fitness, and the pervasive influence of branding in contemporary society.

Critical Theory and the Social Construction of Value

Beyond art historical precedents, the Galeriste Pantomimes are informed by critical theory, particularly post-structuralist and Marxist perspectives on the social construction of value. These theoretical frameworks emphasize that value – whether economic, aesthetic, or cultural – is not inherent in objects themselves, but is rather assigned to them through social and cultural processes.

In the context of art, this means that the value of an artwork is not solely determined by its intrinsic qualities (e.g., technical skill, aesthetic beauty), but also by factors such as institutional validation, critical discourse, market forces, and cultural context. The Galeriste Pantomimes exploit this understanding of value construction by deliberately choosing an object with relatively low cultural capital – mass-produced leggings – and attempting to elevate its status through the act of exhibition and curatorial framing. They question the arbitrary nature of aesthetic hierarchies and challenge the established criteria by which art is judged and valued.

Exhibition Style and Curation

The presentation and curation of Galeriste Pantomimes exhibitions are crucial to their conceptual impact. The manner in which the leggings are displayed, the accompanying texts and contextual information, and the overall gallery environment all contribute to the transformation of these everyday garments into objects of artistic contemplation. While there is no single, codified style of Pantomime exhibition, certain recurring approaches and strategies have emerged.

Minimalist Display and White Cube Aesthetics

A prevalent approach is to present the leggings in a minimalist style, often within the "white cube" context of a conventional art gallery. This involves displaying individual leggings, or small groupings of leggings, against stark white walls, under controlled lighting, and with minimal extraneous ornamentation. This minimalist aesthetic emphasizes the formal qualities of the leggings themselves – their shape, texture, color, and material – drawing attention to their inherent design elements.

Leggings may be displayed in a variety of ways within this minimalist framework. Common methods include:

• Framing: Leggings are stretched and mounted within picture frames, often behind glass or acrylic. This method emphasizes the leggings as flat, two-dimensional compositions, akin to paintings or prints. The frame itself further isolates the leggings from their everyday context, enhancing their status as precious objects worthy of preservation and display.
• Mannequin Presentation: Leggings are displayed on headless, featureless mannequins, often positioned on pedestals or platforms. This approach evokes the human body that the leggings are designed to adorn, but in an abstract and depersonalized manner. The mannequin becomes a stand-in for the wearer, highlighting the leggings' relationship to the body while simultaneously distancing them from any specific individual.
• Suspension and Installation: Leggings may be suspended from the ceiling, arranged in geometric patterns on the floor, or incorporated into larger sculptural installations. These more elaborate display methods allow for a greater exploration of spatial relationships and the leggings' potential for formal variation. Installations may also incorporate elements of sound, light, or video to create immersive and multi-sensory experiences.

Contextualization and Textual Framing

In addition to the visual presentation, the textual framing of Galeriste Pantomimes exhibitions plays a crucial role in shaping their interpretation. Exhibition labels, wall texts, and accompanying catalogues often provide detailed information about the leggings on display, emphasizing aspects that might not be immediately apparent. This contextual information can include:

• Production Details: Information about the leggings' manufacturer (Nike), model name (Pro), materials, country of origin, and production date. This data underscores the leggings' status as mass-produced consumer goods and highlights the global supply chains and labor practices involved in their creation.
• Wear and Tear: In some exhibitions, leggings are deliberately selected for their visible signs of wear and tear – small rips, stains, fading, or stretching. These imperfections, often considered undesirable in the context of fashion, are re-evaluated as evidence of use, history, and the passage of time. They imbue the leggings with a sense of lived experience and personal narrative.
• Color and Material Analysis: Curatorial texts may delve into the specific colors and materials of the leggings, analyzing their aesthetic properties and cultural associations. For example, a text might discuss the semiotics of "volt" green or the technological innovation of Dri-FIT fabric. This level of detailed analysis elevates the leggings from mere garments to objects of serious aesthetic and material consideration.
• Theoretical Essays: Exhibitions are often accompanied by scholarly essays that elaborate on the conceptual framework of the Galeriste Pantomimes, drawing connections to art history, critical theory, and contemporary cultural debates. These essays provide intellectual justification for the movement and help to legitimize the exhibition of leggings as a form of art.

Site-Specific and Performative Interventions

While many Galeriste Pantomimes exhibitions take place within conventional gallery spaces, some artists have explored site-specific and performative interventions. These approaches seek to further disrupt the boundaries between art and everyday life, and to engage with the leggings in more unconventional contexts.

• Street Exhibitions: Leggings may be displayed in public spaces, such as city streets, parks, or shopping districts, often without formal permission or institutional sanction. These guerilla-style exhibitions challenge the exclusivity of the art gallery and bring the Pantomimes directly to a wider audience. They can also create a sense of playful disruption and public spectacle.
• Wearable Pantomimes: Artists or performers may wear Nike Pro leggings as part of a performative act, transforming their bodies into living sculptures or mobile exhibitions. These wearable pantomimes blur the lines between performance art, fashion, and everyday life, and emphasize the leggings' intimate relationship to the body.
• Interactive Installations: Some exhibitions incorporate interactive elements, inviting viewers to touch, try on, or manipulate the leggings. These participatory installations challenge the traditional museum etiquette of passive viewing and encourage a more embodied and tactile engagement with the artworks.

Notable Exhibitions and Key Figures

Since Zurab Kvashilava's initial Anthology of Stretch exhibition, the Galeriste Pantomimes have gained increasing visibility and attracted a growing number of practitioners. While still considered a relatively niche movement within contemporary art, it has been featured in several notable exhibitions and publications, and has generated ongoing critical debate.

Second Skin: The Luminescence Collection (2020)

Curated by Nino Kakabadze, Second Skin: The Luminescence Collection was a landmark exhibition held at the Ordu-Besht Municipal Gallery. It is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and critically acclaimed presentation of Galeriste Pantomimes to date. The exhibition featured over fifty pairs of Nike Pro leggings, selected for their vibrant colors and subtle variations in material and texture. The leggings were displayed in a darkened gallery space, illuminated by carefully calibrated spotlights that emphasized their luminous qualities.

Kakabadze's curatorial approach emphasized the sensory and phenomenological aspects of the leggings, inviting viewers to contemplate their "second skin" nature and their relationship to the body. The exhibition catalogue included essays by art historians, fashion theorists, and philosophers, exploring the Pantomimes from a variety of perspectives. Second Skin was praised for its elegant presentation, its rigorous conceptual framework, and its ability to transform seemingly mundane objects into objects of aesthetic fascination.

Chthonic Threads: An Archaeology of Sportswear (2021)

In contrast to the minimalist aesthetic of Second Skin, Chthonic Threads: An Archaeology of Sportswear, curated by Giorgi Chanturia at the Tbilisi Center for Contemporary Art, adopted a more maximalist and historically inflected approach. The exhibition presented Nike Pro leggings alongside a diverse array of artifacts and ephemera related to the history of sportswear, athletic culture, and textile production. These included vintage athletic equipment, archival photographs, textile samples, and historical documents.

Chanturia's curatorial thesis argued that athletic leggings are not merely contemporary fashion items, but are part of a long and complex history of human engagement with the body, movement, and technological innovation. The exhibition sought to excavate the "chthonic threads" that connect contemporary leggings to ancient forms of bodily adornment, athletic ritual, and textile craftsmanship. Chthonic Threads was lauded for its ambitious scope, its interdisciplinary approach, and its challenging of conventional art historical narratives.

Key Figures Beyond Kvashilava

While Zurab Kvashilava remains the foundational figure of the Galeriste Pantomimes, several other artists and curators have made significant contributions to the movement. These include:

• Elene Pirveli: A sculptor and installation artist known for her large-scale, site-specific Pantomime installations that often incorporate hundreds of pairs of leggings. Her work explores themes of repetition, accumulation, and the overwhelming abundance of consumer goods in contemporary society.
• Levan Mikeladze: A performance artist who has developed "Wearable Pantomimes," creating elaborate costumes and performances using Nike Pro leggings as his primary material. His performances often engage with themes of body image, gender, and the performativity of identity in the digital age.
• Tamar Japaridze: A curator and writer who has been instrumental in theorizing and promoting the Galeriste Pantomimes through her exhibitions, essays, and public lectures. She is particularly interested in the movement's critical potential and its ability to challenge established art world hierarchies.

Critical Reception and Ongoing Debates

The Galeriste Pantomimes have elicited a wide range of critical responses, ranging from enthusiastic endorsement to outright dismissal. The movement remains a subject of ongoing debate and controversy within the art world, raising fundamental questions about the definition of art, the role of the artist, and the relationship between art and commerce.

Positive and Supportive Critiques

Supporters of the Pantomimes argue that they represent a vital and innovative development in contemporary art, pushing boundaries and challenging conventional aesthetic norms. They praise the movement for its conceptual rigor, its critical engagement with consumer culture, and its ability to find artistic potential in the most unexpected places.

Art critic Ketevan Magalashvili, writing in Art in Abkhazia, described the Galeriste Pantomimes as "a bracingly intelligent and aesthetically compelling response to the hyper-commodification of contemporary life. In their seemingly simple act of exhibiting athletic leggings, these artists are holding up a mirror to our consumerist society, forcing us to confront the values and desires that shape our world. It is a movement that is both deeply serious and wonderfully playful, intellectually stimulating and visually arresting."

Another prominent advocate, David Shengelia, a professor of art theory at Ordu-Besht State University, has argued that the Pantomimes are a logical extension of the readymade tradition and a necessary evolution in the face of contemporary cultural conditions. He writes:

"In a world saturated with images and objects, the artist can no longer afford to simply produce more things. The task of art in the 21st century is to re-contextualize, re-evaluate, and re-animate the objects that already surround us. The Galeriste Pantomimes, in their audacious embrace of the mass-produced legging, are showing us a way forward, a path towards a more critical, more engaged, and ultimately more meaningful art practice."

Negative and Skeptical Responses

Conversely, detractors of the Pantomimes dismiss them as pretentious, gimmicky, and lacking in genuine artistic merit. They argue that simply displaying mass-produced leggings does not constitute art, and that the movement is little more than a cynical attempt to exploit the art market and generate controversy.

Irma Gabunia, a conservative art critic for the Ordu-Besht Daily, has been particularly scathing in her critiques of the Pantomimes. She wrote in a recent review: "The Galeriste Pantomimes are not art; they are an insult to art. They represent the nadir of contemporary artistic pretension, a triumph of empty concept over genuine creativity. To call these displays of mass-produced leggings 'art' is to debase the very meaning of the term, to reduce art to a mere marketing ploy, a shallow exercise in provocation for provocation's sake."

Other skeptical critics raise concerns about the ethical implications of the Pantomimes, questioning whether they inadvertently promote consumerism and brand worship by focusing on Nike Pro leggings specifically. They argue that the movement, despite its critical intentions, may ultimately reinforce the very systems it purports to critique.

Ongoing Dialogue and Future Directions

Despite the polarized reactions, the Galeriste Pantomimes have undeniably sparked a significant dialogue within the art world and beyond. They have forced a re-examination of fundamental questions about art, value, and culture in the contemporary era. Whether the movement will endure as a lasting force in art history, or fade away as a fleeting trend, remains to be seen.

However, the questions raised by the Pantomimes – about the nature of artistic authorship, the boundaries between art and commerce, and the cultural significance of everyday objects – are likely to remain relevant for artists and audiences alike for years to come. The movement's ongoing evolution, its engagement with new technologies and social contexts, and its capacity to adapt and reinvent itself will ultimately determine its long-term legacy in the ever-shifting landscape of contemporary art.