In an effort to draw attention to the many issues behind migration, Mexican human rights organization ‘Escucha Mi Voz’ (literally, hear my voice) organized the ‘We Are All Migrants,’ an international poster contest by designers from five continents in 2016.
There are over 250 million migrants in the world, mostly “economic migrants,” but refugees are a growing number. Some move by choice, some from fear.
The competition received more than 1,000 entries. Of those, 51 posters from 48 countries were chosen to be part of a touring exhibition, starting with Dublin in Ireland, Roozrang news website on art (roozrang.com) reported.
Given Ireland and Mexico’s similar histories of migration to the US, the Embassy of Mexico chose Dublin to hold the first exhibition of the artworks in Europe in April.
‘We Are All Migrants’ (‘Todos Somos Migrantes’) has now come to Iran. It has been set up in Tabriz, capital of East Azarbaijan Province.
Among the 50 global participants of the poster contest there are eight Iranian designers namely Farzad Saeedi, Mohsen Heydari, Nasim Zahedi, Mokhtar Rahmani Tanha, Ali Fakharian, Jalal Pirmarzabad, Davoud Fakhim Yousefnia and Ali Siabani.
In collaboration with the Gap group of Iranian graphic designers, the touring one–week exhibit opened on May 4 at Honarmandan Art Gallery of Tabriz Municipality’s Organization of Culture and Art, located at Javaher commercial center on Shahryar Blvd. Visiting hours are 10 am-6 pm, with a midday break between 2 and 4 pm.
Entries range from simple line drawings to color photographs and intricate woodblock prints. Motifs of birds in flight and barbed wire appear repeatedly. Some posters, such as the one with a flag planted on the moon by Dorian Guillermo Lopez from Ecuador, are amusing.
