Decorative Wall at Former Ferroalloy Plant Claimed

Location : Zestafoni Artist: Demur BasheleishviliYear: 1983 Dimensions LxHxW in cm: 1300х310 smPhoto   Credits: Irina Kocak Decorative Wall at Former Ferroalloy Plant. 1983.       Author: Demur Basheleishvili.     Demur Basheleishvili’s “New Khalibs”.The Halibs were ancient people who lived on the Black Sea coast in Asia Minor (the central section of modern Turkey). The Halibs are credited with inventing the iron smelting technique; their name is derived from the Greek words for steel and the iron. Iron was found by the Halibaeans as a technical material (according to Greek tradition, iron was discovered on Mount Ida, the name given to the mountain range near Troy, opposite the island of Lesbos). Moreover, they were recognized as master smiths among the surrounding peoples and were highly regarded. In addition, The author attempted to draw to our notice the historical connection between the ancient Khalib people and the Georgian people through a lively composition. The composition’s center has symbolic depictions of the Khalib people standing on either side of the metal furnace as two protectors of the old heritage. On their sides are represented by the author’s contemporaneous workers-metallurgists at various phases of production. The mosaic “New Khalibs” was made specifically for installation at the entrance to the metal factories, where hundreds of workers-metallurgists arrived every morning. This composition, according to the author’s notion, reminded them of the importance of their goal and urged them to be proud of their chosen profession. Project is co-financed by the Polish development cooperation program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland