Cultural Landscape

Workshop with Elaine Ling

Elaine Ling Gobi Desert

Exploring the Stones of Queen Tamar

On the banks of Mtkvari, Uplistskheone is one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia. Located on a rocky promontory above the river Mtkvari, the city stood directly on the path of the old Silk Road. Churches, palaces, concert halls and living quarters were carved into the mountain of this monumental ancient cave-village from the 1st millennium BC. Originally it consisted of more than 7 00 caves. Today only 150 remains.

In the semi-desert area of Davit Garedja bordering Azerbaijan are the cave monasteries, and the famous Lavra monastery, the Udabno Caves with remains of wonderful frescos.

In the wilderness, the cave city of Vardzia is a massive complex spread over six stories, with hundreds of caves poking out of the rock-face. Vardzia dates from the time of Queen Tamar, Georgia’s beloved monarch of the 12th and 13th century.

Over my whole photographic journey, I have seeked out places of ancient cultures in STONE. These places are sometimes well know and sometimes obscure and sometimes already well documented. But to stand in awe of such monuments and to photograph them intimately in your own visual concept is a pleasure and a challenge. Here you will bring together the strengths that influences your life and the dedication and imagination of the civilization which created these inner cities in stone.

	Elaine Ling with Genghis Kahn

Born in Hong Kong, Elaine Ling has lived in Canada since the age of nine. Upon arrival in Canada, Elaine was exhilarated by the freedom of space and began her attraction to Stone and places of Nature. She studied the piano, the cello and medicine. Upon graduating from Medical school, Elaine worked as a family physician with special interest in the First Nation populations
of Northern Canada. She was based in specialized Northern hospitals and flew into isolated communities,from the Eastern to the Western Arctic, from the northeast coast of Newfoundland to the northwest coast of British Columbia. Having a natural affinity to the Ojibwa, the Cree, the Inuit, the Kwakiutl, and the Haida, Elaine's images of this part of her life began her 20 year journey in photography. Seeking the solitude of deserts and abandoned architectures of ancient cultures, Elaine Ling has explored the shifting equilibrium between nature and the man-made across four continents. Photographing in the deserts of Mongolia, Namibia, North Africa, India, South America, Australia, American Southwest and the citadels of Persepolis, Petra, Cappadocia, Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, Great Zimbabwe, she has captured that dialogue.

Elaine Ling has shown her works in exhibitions all over the world.
www.elaineling.com

Workshop Information:

• 3-day wokshop, May 2nd to 4th 2013
• Participants: max 10
• Language English
• Location: Tbilisi City Museum"Karvasla", Sioni St., Tbilisi, Georgia
• Prize 350 Euro
• including participation in portfolio walk, openings, lectures and events
  
• Application deadline: April 24th

For detailed information ( also infos on flights and hotels) please contact
Tina Schelhorn: tinaschelhorn@web.de, +49 178 565 11 49