66

Netherlands Photo Museum. Rotterdam, The Kingdom of Netherlands

Photostudio Ermakov

Photographer, Collector, Entrepreneur

International Exhibitions > Natia Likokeli
Fotostudio Ermakov was the title of the exhibition held from 14 June until 31 August 2014 at the Netherlands Photo Museum. Over 100
works by Dimitri Ermakov (1846-1916) from the Georgian National Museums photo archives were shown.

his exhibition allowed the Georgian

National Museum to introduce one
of the greatest photographers in
the Caucasus region of his time, Dimitri
Ermakov, to foreign visitors and to present
the Caucasus region at the turn of the 20th
century. Indeed many photos reflect current reality so well that for many Western

Europeans the exhibition was a way of

becoming better acquainted with our region.
In addition to photos, a model of
Ermakovs photo studio was set up at the
exhibition with original items used by the
photographer. A restoration studio in the
Netherlands Photo Museum allowed visi-

tors to witness the processes of conservation and restoration of old photos. Presenting these studios was important so visitors
gain insights on technologies used in photography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It also served as a tool for the organizers of the exhibition to demonstrate how
the photo archives of the Georgian National
Museum had been restored and conserved
within the framework of a 10-year project
implemented in cooperation with the Netherlands Photo Museum and supported
by the Dutch Horizon Foundation.
The presentation of the catalogue Dimitri Ermakov Photographer and Collector
took place during this exhibition. Later
the exhibition was moved to the Dahlem
Museum (Berlin, Germany) and to the Georgian National Museums Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery. In 2016, the exhibition will open in the Ghent Historic Houses
(Ghent, Belgium).
The exhibition was prepared through
mutual cooperation between the Georgian
National Museum, the Netherlands Photo
Museum and the Horizon Foundation. It
was also supported by Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (Prince Bernhard Culture Fund),
the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture
and Science, the Rotterdam Municipality,
Bank Giro Loterij, the Wertheimer Fund, the
Port of Rotterdam, Ghent Historic Houses
and the OVG Company.

European Culture Museum. Berlin, Germany

Wine Culture
International Exhibitions > Natia Likokeli
It is well-known that the history of wine in Georgia goes back thousands of years, and
Georgian wine has become a trademark for our country. This is why, when Georgian cultural
days are held anywhere, wine is given an important place.

etween August 1 and October 5, 2014, the Days of Georgian Culture were held in
Germany. The Georgian National
Museum participated by presenting
an exhibition entitled Wine Culture
at the European Culture Museum,
Berlin, Germany.
The
ethnographic
artifacts
on display included objects for
making wine and illustrations of
the process of winemaking in the
19th-20th centuries, documented in
photos by the photographer Dimitri Ermakov (1846-1916). This
allowed visitors to learn about Ge-

orgian wine traditions and culture

that go back approximately 8000
years. During the Days of Georgian
Culture, events were dedicated to
the celebration of Georgian religious and folk holidays, traditional
music and dance shows, and Georgian literary evenings.
All of this was made possible
through support from the Ministry
of Culture and Monument Protection
of Georgia, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Georgia, the Embassy of
Georgia in Germany, the Prussian
Cultural Heritage Foundation and
other partners.
GEORGIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

67