My name is Koka Vashakidze. I am an artist and researcher, and the founder of Silk Road Fragments, an independent artistic and publishing platform dedicated to long-term cultural research and it's presentation

Through Silk Road Fragments, I am currently working on Daughters of Maro, the platform’s first and initial project: an archival and publishing initiative documenting Georgia’s ongoing protest movement, which surpassed one year on November 28, 2025. This campaign raises funds to support the publication of a book based on the Daughters of Maro archival installation, as well as to help maintain the platform where the material is researched, translated, and preserved.

Over the past year, it has become clear that this protest has already entered contemporary world history and that this chapter has a woman’s face. Women have played a central role not only in the visibility of the protest, but also in shaping its language.

Daughters of Maro examines both the essence of the protest itself and the process through which its female face was formed, tracing how women became central figures within its imagery, narratives, and public perception.

The project is named in honor of Maro Makashvili, a 19-year-old nurse who was killed on the front line in 1921 during the Red Army invasion of Georgia. In 2015, she was posthumously recognized as the first female National Hero of independent Georgia, becoming a lasting symbol of political resistance and historical memory.

As an artist and researcher, I consider it essential to document this moment carefully and accessibly, so that it can be understood not only in the present, but also by future readers, researchers, and historians.

The book has already been edited, designed, and fully prepared for publication, including the English translation of interviews and personal archival materials. The project is now ready to move into its final production stage.

An electronic version of the book is being published in parallel on the Silk Road Fragments platform and is freely accessible, ensuring open access to the material.

Funds raised through this campaign will be used to support:

All contributions help ensure that the book can be physically published and that the platform remains independent, sustainable, and publicly accessible.

Due to regional payout limitations, the funds will be received by a trusted beneficiary located in a supported country on behalf of the project. The beneficiary will transfer the funds directly to support the publication of the book and the maintenance of the platform.