Celebrities and artists participating in charity events around the world is nothing new. Their high profile status is often used to put the spotlight on global issues like hunger and poverty among others.
Now in Iran 100 local artists have joined hands to be part of the United Nations World Food Program to draw attention to hunger and how to alleviate it. An event at Niavaran Cultural Center in Tehran for artists to donate their works for sale is on the agenda.
A feature of this upcoming exhibition is the cooperation between younger and older artists, said Shekoofeh Malek-Kiani – a UN representative directing the program in Iran. ‘’Since there is good potential for artistic and cultural works on this subject, we thought it would be a good idea to invite some young artists to work alongside the masters,” she said in an interview with Shargh newspaper earlier this week.
First of a Kind
Malek-Kiani, who is an aspiring photographer herself, says this is the first event of its kind in the country. Letters were to artists in early February; they had four months to ponder the offer. Several notable personalities including ambassadors, UN representatives and important cultural figures will be present at the event.
World Food Program provides food to 90 million people annually, of whom 58 million are children. There are around 30,000 Afghan refugees as well as 2,000 Iraqi refugee girls who benefit from the program in Iran.
Taha Behbahani, a painter and sculptor expressed her regret at the death of one-eighth of humanity due to hunger every year. Hossein Cheraghchi, a successful young painter who has presented one of his mural inspired paintings to be sold at the exhibition, says taking part in charity events like this is the least they can do as artists. He added he wouldn’t spare any effort to alleviate social problems and that he personally enjoyed taking part.
Hamed Rashtian, another young sculptor believes that young artists’ contribution would be good publicity and help sales but opined that “many of these events are not professionally organized.” Nevertheless, he says he is participating. Notable figures such as master of Persian painting and miniatures Mahmoud Farschian, sculptor Parviz Tanavoli, painter Parviz Kalantari and the world famous filmmaker, Abbas Kiarostami are also taking part.
The event will kick off on October 16, the World Food Day.
