“Wall of confrontation in human consciousness”
The Wall of Confrontation is not built of bricks or concrete — it is an intangible yet deeply embedded structure within human consciousness. It is a mental and emotional boundary, shaped by invisible forces: nationality, religion, territorial divisions, political ideologies, social hierarchies, and family expectations. These divisions do not merely exist outside us — they are internalized. They become part of our mental architecture, subtly drawing lines between “us” and “them,” between belonging and alienation, between right and wrong.
Society’s unspoken aim, throughout history, has been to regulate the individual’s consciousness. It cultivates a mass mentality, where personal difference is treated as deviance, and deviation is seen as a threat. Those who think differently, feel more deeply, or question the prevailing norms often find themselves in a psychological prison. They do not face visible chains, but rather invisible resistance — rejection, misunderstanding, isolation. They struggle, revolt, try to escape the wall by rejecting societal norms, only to be pulled back again by the powerful gravity of identity and the longing to belong.
Humans are social beings. The instinct to survive within a tribe is ancient and primal. But every tribe has its rules, its unspoken contracts, its leaders and taboos. To remain inside the group, one must often sacrifice a part of one’s truth. The fear of exile is not just physical; it is existential. Thus, a paradox arises: to survive socially, one may have to die internally — a little at a time.
The most painful confrontation arises when two conflicting systems — worldviews, belief systems, moral codes — force the individual into a binary choice. Often, neither side resonates with one’s authentic self, yet the illusion of choice remains. The wall rises precisely in that moment: not just as a result of conflict, but from the illusion that these are the only options. We are conditioned to believe there is no third way, no silent exit through the middle.
But the wall is not merely external. Its true origin is within the human psyche. All outer confrontation is a reflection of inner contradiction. We are torn between the safety of belonging and the freedom of authenticity. To take a new path, to invent a third option, requires courage — and that courage is usually met with fear. The unknown is terrifying. The possibility of freedom is often paralyzing. Thus, novelty — the very thing that could set us free — pushes us back toward the familiar wall.
True freedom is not the absence of limitations, but the ability to choose beyond conditioning. Freedom begins when a person starts to make decisions not from fear, not from habit, not from inherited structures, but from a space of inner clarity. Yet even this clarity is threatened by inner emotions — guilt, shame, doubt — which are no less binding than external oppression.
The Wall of Confrontation is both the boundary and the mirror. It reveals the architecture of our inherited mind. And only by seeing it clearly can we begin to dismantle it — not by jumping over it, but by understanding how it was built in the first place.
“Great Unification”
The installation “Great Unification” reflects the deeply existential need of humanity to seek a higher idea, power, or truth around which different people or structures unite. The light in the center is a metaphor for the higher force that everyone present strives towards. This light is not just a physical object; it symbolizes what makes interaction, communication, and unification possible.
The various chairs arranged around the light symbolize unique structures or individual human entities, each with its own form, history, and meaning. Despite their diversity, all these elements are united around the common source—the light, which gives them new meaning and purpose. In this act of unification, different and seemingly mismatched objects come together to create something greater than just the sum of its parts. It becomes a collective striving for unity in the face of something grand, something that transcends individual differences.
The shadows cast on the walls appear significantly larger and more imposing than the chairs themselves, symbolizing the significance and greatness that comes with uniting around a higher idea. They show that by uniting around a common source of truth or power, we become something much greater than merely separate parts.
The existential concept of this work lies in the idea that the light is like the higher meaning of life, an idea that we all strive for. However, in order to experience this meaning, we must unite and direct our efforts toward the common light. Without this light, we remain mere shadows, condemned to disconnection and fragmentation.
“The Great Unification” emphasizes the importance of a higher force in human life, which gives us a common goal and compels us to overcome internal and external barriers.
The works from the project "Wall of confrontation in human consciousness" were exhibited:
2019 Solo Exhibition “Wall of confrontation in human consciousness” “Literature museum” Tbilisi, Georgia