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Jun. 29, 2021


The sculpture "Free Citizen" by the Georgian artist Arsen Gvenetadze was unveiled last week at BGU's Faculty of Health Sciences in the presence of Georgia's ambassador to Israel, H.E. Lasha Zhvania, the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof. Angel Porgador, Vice-Dean Prof. Ilan Shelef, Vice-Dean for Social Involvement Prof. Asher Bashiri and others.

Above (L-R): Prof. Ilan Shelef, Cultural Attache in Georgia's Embassy in Israel​ Manna Dembazda, Georgia's ambassador to Israel, H.E. Lasha Zhvania, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof. Angel Porgador and Vice-Dean for Social Involvement Prof. Asher Bashiri​.

Earlier in the day, the Georgian ambassador was welcomed by BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz and Vice-President for Public Affairs and Resource Development Jeff Kaye.

Above: BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz with Georgia's ambassador to Israel, H.E. Lasha Zhvania

"Free Citizen" was dedicated a few weeks ago at the University of Tbilisi, in the presence of the university's rector and Prof. Bashiri. Bashiri is a senior gynecologist at the Soroka University Medical Center's Delivery and Gynecology Unit, and senior lecturer at Ben-Gurion University's Faculty of Health Sciences. He specializes in childbirth, high risk pregnancies, mother and fetus medicine and ultrasound. He is a world-renowned expert in repeat pregnancy losses, and responsible for establishing the World Congress on Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, which first took place in France in 2016 with the participation of representatives of more than 50 countries.

As a result of the congress, he was contacted by researchers from Tbilisi University with a request to collaborate and also to instruct medical teams in Tbilisi. One of the researchers, Prof. Arsen Gvenetadze, forged working ties with him which led to joint conferences and an agreement between the two universities.

The two professors have an interest in art and a mutual friend, the noted Georgian sculptor Lavan Vardosanisze. Together with two other partners, they founded The Free Citizen Initiative Group Worldwide, using art to convey messages.

Three sculptures have been created for the initiative: Dignity, Happiness and Free Citizen. The Free Citizen sculpture also stands at JFK airport in New York, in London and other places around the globe.