What this visit is
We offer groups a talk on the culture of bonsai. It takes place in our exhibition space on the Expo Georgia grounds, where you can see every bonsai in our collection.
Bonsai is a slow art: shaping a single tree takes years, sometimes decades. That is why this visit is not meant as a practical class. It is a two-hour conversation among living trees: we talk about what lies behind this art and look at it all through the trees in our collection.
What we will talk about
- 01
History
How the tradition of growing trees in pots began in China and how it became an art of its own in Japan.
- 02
Culture
The place bonsai holds in Japanese life and art, and how it spread around the world.
- 03
Aesthetics
Proportion, asymmetry, empty space. How a bonsai is judged, and why a small tree can look like an old tree grown in the wild.
- 04
Philosophy
Time, patience and the relationship between a person and a tree that this art rests on.
Feel free to ask questions at any point.
Photos from our visits
Price
- 2-hour visit
- Photos from the talk
Good to know
- Duration
About 2 hours.
- Time
The day and time are arranged with each group.
- Group
10 to 30 people. Smaller groups are welcome at the minimum price.
- Age
We recommend 12 and over, as the talk is easier to follow at that age. That said, we have had younger guests too.
- Language
The talk can be given in Georgian or English.
- In winter
The exhibition space is not heated. The trees need the same temperature as outside, so please dress warmly if you visit in winter.
- Address
118 Akaki Tsereteli Ave, Expo Georgia (between pavilions III and IV), Tbilisi
Get directions →
Get in touch to book
Tell us your preferred date and the approximate number of participants.
Bonsai experience on Airbnb
The talk above is for groups of 10 or more. If you are travelling alone, as a couple or with a few friends, join our Airbnb Experience, “Get an introduction to bonsai art”: a smaller, 1.5-hour visit in English, hosted by our family in the same exhibition space.
- The ideas and principles behind bonsai
- Our trees up close, in the exhibition space
- How bonsai are grown and shaped over the years
- Time for your questions
- Duration
- About 1.5 hours
- Language
- English
- Cancellation
- Free up to 1 day before