The realm of art and culture is facing two major challenges today in the country, Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Ali Jannati said at the opening of the exhibition on ‘Artistic Treasures of Pasargad Bank.’
Visiting the exhibition at Tehran’s Saba Cultural Institute, he said the first challenge is the lack of a professional approach to art and culture, and “all and sundry, familiar or not, take the liberty to comment on its most specialized aspects, and even stake a claim on its management.”
As a specialized field, art and culture must be managed by professionals. “Our society must have a clear stance with regard to art and culture and should recognize its special status,” the public relations department of the culture ministry, quoted Jannati as saying.
He said the creators of various works of art in different artistic areas are “the children of this nation who recognize and work within the sphere of religious and ethical values,” under the careful supervision and monitoring of the ministry. “So, excessive concerns and protests against some works are uncalled for,” Jannati stressed.
As for the second obstacle, he pointed out to the economy of culture and said, “Almost nobody in Iran believes that art and culture can be influential in the country’s economy, and as a result, many of our artists, even the prominent ones, are usually subjected to economic hardships and have to deal with financial problems.”
Research
Jannati said from the time he headed the ministry, one of his priorities was to conduct research on the economy of art and culture. As he put it, “the study phase is nearly over, and the plans for art and culture economy to flourish will soon be operational,” with a promising future.
In recent years, Pasargad Bank has contributed to producing artworks, particularly feature films, which have proved to be successful.
Close to 200 pieces of artworks, from contemporary artists of different age groups, are displayed at the exhibition, many of which have recently been purchased. Works from veteran artists such as Monir Farmanfarmayan, Bahman Mohases, Sohrab Sepehri, Parviz Kalantari, Parviz Tanavoli, Aydin Aghdashloo, Hannibal Alkhas, are exhibited among others.
An exquisite book of Pasargad Treasures was also unveiled by Jannati.
