Elektrowerk (German for “electromechanical factory”) is a performance/art venue located in an old Soviet-time factory building in one of the former industrial districts of Tbilisi. Built in 1962, the factory specialized in producing various types of multi-purpose electrical motors (that’s where the name of the venue comes from). They were supplied to other factories all over USSR and even today th
ere is a chance to discover those very motors as parts of your grandma’s mixer or meat grinder or your grandpa’s chainsaw or shaver. Like other big Soviet factories, Sakelektromankana (Georgian for “Georgian electric machines”) had its own workers’ club – an event hall for various cultural and art activities. However, it was Khrushchev’s era and all activities of this kind were highly ideologized, closely controlled and saturated with Soviet propaganda. Nevertheless, even then and later, in the 1970’s there was a group of workers who preferred to listen to “forbidden western tunes” rather than optimistic songs about Lenin and Communist Party. Among them was a factory watchman who on his night shifts would help his friends sneak into the club, and that’s where the real fun was happening! Here with the help of the club’s instruments and equipment, workers at day time were turning into rock stars and hippies at night. Here you could hear the factory vinyl player playing Beatles, Doors and Pink Floyd records bought on black market for crazy money. Some of the surviving items from the original factory club – wooden theater chairs, signboard, fire extinguisher box, etc. - can still be found in our venue. In the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union the factory was shut down and stayed abandoned for years. In 2015 the top 4th floor and the roof of the factory building was renovated and turned into an industrial, underground performance venue, where the vintage authentic spirit meets top-of-the-line modern technologies. The venue is certainly one of the biggest DIY art projects in the region. Months where spent on looking for right materials and items on various construction and flea markets, and crafting interior elements and parts to maintain venues own true vibe. Today the venue offers its visitors the following:
Space: 720 sq.m
Capacity: 1200
Audio: 3-way custom line-array system, double 15” and double 18” low and sub bass speakers, 2-way surround system, 2-way front fill speakers, DJ monitor system. Total RMS power over 40KW, extremely high SPL, even coverage of all frequencies, amplification and processing by Powersoft flagship X8 DSP amplifiers, Neutrik and Klotz Connectors and cables. Video: Professional full HD projector and 5m x 2.8 m screen (optional). Lighting and stage effects: 4 x R5 beam moving head, 4 x 1500W strobe, 10 x LED par, wireless DMX control, Smoke Factory Tour Hazer II. Stage: Portable, configurable, up to 30 sq.m, with stairs and risers. Electric system: Heavy-duty, high quality EU-made wiring and components. Ventilation: Heavy-duty industrial system with a heater. Interior lighting: Multi-component, configurable, adjustable. Bar: Professional 10-meter bar for up to 6 barmen. Elevator: Vintage industrial elevator for up to 12 people. Additional Audio: Background sound system on staircase and WCs. Security: Control Room with Video Surveillance System (Bar, Warehouse, Exit/Entrance, Face control).
