This was an interesting little arrangement in the centre of Tbilisi, but it’s not something ancient that’s being propped up, it’s the clock tower of the Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theatre. It was completed in 2010 by the renowned Georgian artist and puppeteer Rezo Gabriadze, who designed the tower to look intentionally precarious. To add to the whole set-up, he utilised a large rusted iron beam as a prop to enhance the sense that the building is barely standing up.
We didn’t see it, as we weren’t aware to look out for it, but twice a day a screen at the bottom opens up to reveal a puppet performance representing the journey of a human life from birth to death. Also, every hour, a small mechanical angel emerges from a door at the top to strike a bell with a hammer, which explains why we saw people hanging about waiting when we walked by. I like a bit of quirkiness.