The 8th Fajr International Festival of Visual Arts was inaugurated on Friday (Jan 29) at Saba Institute of Culture and Arts.
The ceremony was attended by Mexican Ambassador to Iran Ulises Canchola Gutierrez, director general of Iran’s Visual Arts Office at the Ministry of Culture Majid Mollanoroozi, deputy culture minister for artistic affairs Ali Moradkhani and festival secretary Mojtaba Aqaei, Mehr News Agency reported.
This is the first time Mexico is participating in Tehran’s international art festival. “Further, we are planning to increase our presence in and cooperation with Iran,” said Gutierrez.
The Mexico Art Week will be held at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts (TMOCA) and discussions with the relevant officials have been held.
“The week-long event will present to Iranian audience pre-colonial Mexican art in three mediums of sculpture, photo and gravure.”
Gutierrez said the sculpture collection includes works by veteran Mexican artist Gabriela Z. Rodriguez. Celebrated engraver artist, Jose Guadalupe Posada’s works will comprise another part of the exhibition and works by Italian origin photographer, Tina Modotti, will go on the walls during the week.
Mexico’s participation in the festival is “a starting point for a stronger presence of the country in future cultural and artistic events,” especially the upcoming Tehran International Book Fair, in which a Persian translation of a Mexican book on the country’s history will be presented.
The post-sanctions era provides opportunity for both sides to strengthen bilateral ties in enriching culture and art. Mexico’s participation in the Iranian art event will further introduce the history and culture of both countries to each other.
Multi-Dimensional
The artworks displayed are multi-dimensional, created with various mediums. “By removing interdisciplinary barriers, a huge number of visual media works made their way to the event,” said Aqaei. The organizers’ focus is on both quantity and quality.
The festival is a “step forward” in the visual arts field, Moradkhani said, hoping the warm atmosphere and eager participation of artists “will last through the art events.”
Following discussions with Italian officials, a selection of Iranian artworks will be exhibited in Italy in the near future, he said.
Relevant organizations, foundations and media involved in organizing the festival were honored at the ceremony for their contribution.
A cake bearing a print of the festival poster, as is customary, was cut on the occasion.
The festival, will run through March 7, and will be attended by over 4,900 artists, including 105 from abroad.
