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June 20 to November 1, 2026
Tolia Astakhishvili
Figure of the Child
Tolia Astakhishvili
In keeping with a recurring motif in the work of artist Tolia Astakhishvili, the artist’s first solo museum exhibition will proceed from the concept of the “figure of the child.” In this context, the child embodies both a high degree of intellectual and creative autonomy and a profound dependence on others. Accordingly, Astakhishvili focuses on the experience of art itself, extending it to movement and touch and breaking with the conventions of museum presentation. The notion of the “first encounter,” as children experience it when initially perceiving a phenomenon, serves here as a key to a new kind of experience. Astakhishvili’s extensive body of work is characterized by a keen sensitivity to spaces as multi-layered entities shaped by all the people who experience them. The artist works across sculpture, sound, video, architectural elements, painting, and drawing, combining these approaches in large-scale installations.
Figure of the Child has been developed in dialogue with numerous collaborators, mumok’s collection, and external loans, including works by Vito Acconci, Zurab Astakhishvili, Aurel, Ştefan Bertalan, Karl Blossfeldt, Kaucyila Brooke, Veronica Brovall, Günter Brus, Elene Chantladze, James Ensor, Nan Goldin, Yaryna Fedoriv, Irma Gubeladze, Ull Hohn, Joe Jones, Paul Joostens, Louise Lawler, Charlotte Moorman & Nam June Paik, Dylan Peirce, Pablo Picasso, Charlotte Posenenske, Alexandra Ranner, James Richards, Irena Rosc, Medardo Rosso, Dieter Roth, Maka Sanadze, Stefan Wewerka and Heimo Zobernig.
The exhibition opening is accompanied by the publication of the first of three artist’s books on Tolia Astakhishvili’s Figure of the Child, with texts by Kirsty Bell, Fatima Hellberg and Liesl Ujvary, designed in collaboration with Syndicat.
Tolia Astakhishvili (born 1974 in Tbilisi, Georgia) lives and works in Tbilisi and Berlin.
Curated by Fatima Hellberg and Manuela Ammer
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Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: Singing out of doors, 2026
construction material, woven polypyrene, aluminum foil, found objects, light
1024.3 x 1055.6 x 237.3 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Detail of: Singing out of doors, 2026
construction material, woven polypyrene, aluminum foil, found objects, light
1024.3 x 1055.6 x 237.3 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Singing out of doors, 2026
construction material, woven polypyrene, aluminum foil, found objects, light
1024.3 x 1055.6 x 237.3 cm
my emptiness, 2025–26
construction material, excavated pipes, bathtub, shower tray, mirrors, light
482.5 x 643 x 431 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Singing out of doors, 2026
construction material, woven polypyrene, aluminum foil, found objects, light
1024.3 x 1055.6 x 237.3 cm
my emptiness, 2025–26
construction material, excavated pipes, bathtub, shower tray, mirrors, light
482.5 x 643 x 431 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: Singing out of doors, 2026
construction material, woven polypyrene, aluminum foil, found objects, light
1024.3 x 1055.6 x 237.3 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Detail of: Singing out of doors, 2026
construction material, woven polypyrene, aluminum foil, found objects, light
1024.3 x 1055.6 x 237.3 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: There are always more things that are true somehow at once I, 2026
wood, concrete, light, found objects
504 x 140 x 70 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: There are always more things that are true somehow at once I, 2026
wood, concrete, light, found objects
504 x 140 x 70 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Installation view
Installation view
Tolia Astakhishvili, Figure of the Child, 20. Juni bis 1. November 2026
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Foto: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili, Figure of the Child, 20. Juni bis 1. November 2026
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Foto: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
my emptiness, 2025–26
construction material, excavated pipes, bathtub, shower tray, mirrors, light
482.5 x 643 x 431 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
my emptiness, 2025–26
construction material, excavated pipes, bathtub, shower tray, mirrors, light
482.5 x 643 x 431 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: Placeholder II, 2025-26
construction material, drawings, found images
450 x 350 x 180 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Detail of: Placeholder II, 2025-26
construction material, drawings, found images
450 x 350 x 180 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: Placeholder II, 2025–26
construction material, drawings, found images
450 x 350 x 180 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Detail of: Placeholder II, 2025–26
construction material, drawings, found images
450 x 350 x 180 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: Placeholder II, 2025–26
construction material, drawings, found images
450 x 350 x 180 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Detail of: Placeholder II, 2025–26
construction material, drawings, found images
450 x 350 x 180 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Hut 1, 2026
with works by Yaryna Fedoriv, Irma Gubeladze, Elene Chantladze
184 x 85 x 165 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Hut 1, 2026
with works by Yaryna Fedoriv, Irma Gubeladze, Elene Chantladze
184 x 85 x 165 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: A sound in the tunnel between the ears / dark days / when the others are within us, 2024–2026
construction material, found objects
1020 x 150 x 136 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Detail of: A sound in the tunnel between the ears / dark days / when the others are within us, 2024–2026
construction material, found objects
1020 x 150 x 136 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
growing up, 2026
canvas, ink
73 x 35 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
growing up, 2026
canvas, ink
73 x 35 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: growing up, 2026
canvas, ink
73 x 35 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Detail of: growing up, 2026
canvas, ink
73 x 35 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: all you can eat, 2026
vitrine, drawings, vacuum formed PET-plastic, found images
744 x 71.3 x 8.7 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Detail of: all you can eat, 2026
vitrine, drawings, vacuum formed PET-plastic, found images
744 x 71.3 x 8.7 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: all you can eat, 2026
vitrine, drawings, vacuum formed PET-plastic, found images
744 x 71.3 x 8.7 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Detail of: all you can eat, 2026
vitrine, drawings, vacuum formed PET-plastic, found images
744 x 71.3 x 8.7 cm
Courtesy the artist, LC Queisser and Emalin.
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
I would like to return and say I am back and it's nice on the other side, 2026
Collage with photos of Maka Sanadze, digital print on wood
46.6 x 36.2 cm
© Tolia Astakhishvili
I would like to return and say I am back and it's nice on the other side, 2026
Collage with photos of Maka Sanadze, digital print on wood
46.6 x 36.2 cm
© Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
to love and devour, 2025
Plastic, permanent marker, plastic tube, sink
375 x 367 cm
Courtesy the artist, Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation and LC Queisser, Tbilisi, Cologne
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
to love and devour, 2025
Plastic, permanent marker, plastic tube, sink
375 x 367 cm
Courtesy the artist, Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation and LC Queisser, Tbilisi, Cologne
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
war on my plate II, 2025
PET plastic, chalk, acrylic paint, graphite, ink
40 x 30 x 4 cm
Courtesy the artist
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
war on my plate II, 2025
PET plastic, chalk, acrylic paint, graphite, ink
40 x 30 x 4 cm
Courtesy the artist
Photo: Tolia Astakhishvili Studio
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tolia Astakhishvili
Tensile Child (All of a sudden), 2019-2021
Papier maché, pen, pencil, oil, acryl
60 x 70 cm
© Tolia Astakhishvili
Photo: Jens Ziehe
Tensile Child (All of a sudden), 2019-2021
Papier maché, pen, pencil, oil, acryl
60 x 70 cm
© Tolia Astakhishvili
Photo: Jens Ziehe
Katharina Murschetz
T:+43-1-525 00-1400
F:+43 1 52500-1300
katharina.murschetz@mumok.at
Katharina Kober
T:+43-1-525 00-1309
F:+43 1 52500-1300
katharina.kober@mumok.at
Published on January 11, 2026
© mumok – museum moderner kunst stiftung ludwig wien