Kazbegi Twin Towers

Who would expect cool graffiti or street art in a mountain village high in the Caucasus? Stepantsminda, also known as Kazbegi, holds significance as the starting point for the hike to Mount Kazbek, one of Georgia’s highest peaks. Furthermore, the Trinity Church of Gergeti is worth seeing. But otherwise, much of this village along the Georgian Military Highway is in decline—abandoned buildings and post-socialist decay everywhere.

So it is surprising to find a strange building near the Meidan, in a side street. Two towers, covered in black-and-white graffiti, a ramp precariously supported by a weathered steel beam. At the front of the ramp, the words "Twin Towers" appear in English and Georgian.

This is the mountain station of an abandoned funicular, artistically transformed by the Georgian artist David Paul Kay, born Davit Khabourzania. The self-taught artist has been based in New York since 2009. There, he has made a name for himself with consistently monochrome street art, participating in international exhibitions and campaigns for Montblanc, PayPal, and Cadillac. He sometimes even sells his works at Christie’s.

With this piece in the Georgian province, he has created a bridge between his old and new homes.