A war torn city does not apologize

"A War-Torn City Does Not Apologize" is a statement featured in an exhibition at Art House Gori in November 2024, as part of a collection of protest slogans and phrases from Georgia’s modern history.

The phrase emerged in the context of public debate surrounding a statement by Georgian politician Bidzina Ivanishvili about the 2008 Russia-Georgia War and the question of an official apology.

On 14 September 2024, during a pre-election campaign rally in Gori, Ivanishvili stated: "We will certainly find the strength within ourselves to apologize for the fact that, acting on orders, the treacherous National Movement engulfed our Ossetian brothers and sisters in the flames of war in 2008."

The statement triggered a major public debate in Georgia, particularly because it was made in Gori - a city that suffered some of the heaviest consequences of the 2008 Russia-Georgia War. During the war, Gori was bombed and shelled by Russian forces; an airstrike on the city's central square on 12 August 2008 killed at least eight civilians, including Dutch journalist Stan Storimans (RTL).

Art House Gori is an independent art and cultural space founded in 2016 by the Gori Photographers Club. It hosts exhibitions, workshops, and educational programs, supporting contemporary art, photography, and young artists in the Shida Kartli region.

Five days after the exhibition opened, Gori Municipality announced the termination of Art House Gori's agreement to use the building.