Sculptures Symbolize Urban Creativity

The closing ceremony of the 5th Tehran Urban Sculptures Biennial was held at Saba Art and Culture Institute in Tehran on Sunday (Dec.25).

This year’s edition saw the selection of over a hundred maquettes of the artworks that were showcased in an exhibition at ‘Khial-e-Sharghi’ (literally, eastern imagination) Gallery in Tehran from November 8, Honaronline reported.

“Each work was accompanied with an image of the location suggested by the artist for installing the structure,” event secretary Seyed Mojtaba Mousavi said. The policy-making council of the biennial had stressed that when an urban sculpture is made, its location in the city should also be considered.

“We hope in less than a year we can finalize a deal with the selected artists to permanently install their sculptures in the city,” he noted.

Organized by Tehran Beautification Organization (TBO), the biennial seeks to expand the art of contemporary sculpting in the city and familiarize the citizens with the process of new urban designs.

So far, a number of artworks from the previous editions have been installed at vantage points across Tehran.

Also speaking at the event, Ali Moradkhani, art deputy at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance said, “The TBO mission is to transform the city from  a mere residential space into a pleasant artistic texture that gives its people a certain identity.”

This task over the past years has been successful in Tehran and the people have appreciated the visual artworks on display.

The presence of sculptures in cities is important as they symbolize the creativeness of the city. “We hope our city is filled with important and lasting symbols,” he added.

The best works at the biennial were awarded. In addition to an honorary diploma and the biennial statue, the top three winners received cash prizes of $3750, $2500 and $1250 respectively.