An exhibition of selected works at the third biennial of mural paintings ‘City Observers’ which opened at Saba Cultural and Artistic Institute (SCAI) affiliated to the Iranian Academy of Arts, showcased three different sections: a review of mural works from 1979 (after the Islamic Revolution) till date, the works of the third biennial itself, and a section devoted to essays and research.
Municipal authorities as well as visual artists attended the opening ceremony, Mehr news agency reported.
In the biennial section, 72 murals on the theme of martyrs are displayed, and “the paintings were selected from among 1800 works sent by 600 artists from all over the country,” said Seyed Nezameddin Emamifar, exhibition secretary.
Among the works received, 40 paintings were selected by the jury in the mural review section and 30 essays were selected in the essay section. “A conference will be held on February 17, in which the selected essays will be presented,” he added.
Workshops
The biennial is different from the previous ones for a number of reasons, said Emamifar. “The exhibition is focused on a theme, i.e. martyrs,” he said. In addition, six workshops were held on the issue prior to the selection of works.
The artists who painted the selected works were contacted, and they were asked to paint their works on city walls on the occasion of the anniversary of the revolution.
Addressing the ceremony, Jamal Kamyab, managing director of the Organization of Tehran Beautification talked about similar events, saying that “at the moment 200 selected works of the Sculpture Biennial for Urban Space are being displayed in Qasr Museum.”
In addition, a photography festival will be held in the coming days. Pointing to the significance of war martyrs “in securing our lives today,” he added that “by depicting their picture on city walls, we show that we respect them.”
