“Somehow, cowboy boots make people horny.”
Shalva Nikvashvil is a Georgian-born performance artist whose work confronts the uneasy intersections of the personal and the political. Drawing from lived traumas and acute observations of the world, he transforms vulnerability into a charged visual language that challenges comfort and expectation. His performances resist easy autobiography: what unfolds on stage is not simply about him, but a mirror held up to what others would rather not face. Through his body and presence, Nikvashvili reveals the truths hidden beneath silence, exposing what society prefers to look away from.
Images below are from his latest show in Paris.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having four dogs and living far, far away from people. (I’m based in a tiny village with only 300 people, so having nature and peace is an achievement.)
Are you superstitious?
Oh yes, I am. My grandma was half Roman; this made a huge impression on me!
What do you love about Paris?
I have been here a little over a month and I have been going almost every night to the same bar, the same bakery, and the same Chinese restaurant at least three days a week. They all know what I want without me having to say it anymore.
What do you dislike about Paris?
The subways are pure depression.
What is your creative process when you plan a performance? Is there any room for improvisation once it’s started?
Performing is like a game without rules. You play and play as long as you can, and once you get bored, you exit. I always look at myself, then at the world, and then at the empty page in my notebook. That’s how I start planning. Improvisation is 70% and the public is more important than anything else. The public is my material to create work. Sometimes they can be as useless as material you bought at a shop, but that’s part of the game.
Are you aware of the tension/anticipation from the audience when you first enter the space?
Of course. I’m not loved by institutions, but I know I have a brilliant crowd, and this is so precious to me. That’s why tension keeps a bridge between me and them.
What is the dominant emotion moments after you exit the performance?
I want to smoke.
Do you feel like you command more attention wearing cowboy boots or stilettos?
Somehow, cowboy boots make people horny. I don’t know if it’s because I have beautiful legs paired with cowboy boots or …
Who was your first crush?
My neighbor’s husband. He was a dentist and had a baby. I was 13 years old when I realized I LOVED HIM. When I would see him on a street with his child, I would let my dog run out so I could go out as well to observe him closely. He was beautiful, but now looking back at him, I think from today’s perspective, he was hot but dumb!
Shalav’s latest work Hamlet / Fantômes, at Théâtre du Châtelet, will premiere on October 7th, with 11 shows till October 19th.
He is creating the costumes and performing in the play.