The Flood

Francesco Merlini’s project is a reminiscence of the flooding disaster that hit Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2015. People died, families became homeless, and the zoo was destroyed. More than 300 animals were lost, while survivors transformed the city into a wilderness full of dangerous beasts. An influential head of the church blamed the flood on the “sins” of the former communist regime. More realistically, its cause can be found in the river’s diminished capacity due to deforestation, poorly maintained Soviet-era infrastructure, and extensive and often illegal development. Merlini blends together a documentary account of the tragedy’s aftermath and a visual reflection on today’s Georgian panorama.