One of the major approaches employed in the past four years by the Iranian Artists Forum was to enhance its international relations. “We believe Iran as a rich country in the field of art and culture can present its experiences to the world and in return get familiar with and learn from the world’s artists,” said Majid Sarsangi, forum president.
In a meeting with Ambassador of Finland Harri Kamarainen, Ambassador of Norway Norheim Aud Lise and first secretary of the Danish embassy Jens Jacob Simonsen, who visited the forum, Sarsangi said artists were keen to improve ties with nations “where Iran has less contacts, like with the Scandinavian countries,” the IAF public relations office reported.
The Finnish ambassador noted that during his two years in Iran “he learnt a lot about Iranian art and culture through the forum’s activities.”
“Following talks with my counterparts in the embassies of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, we decided to introduce the art of our region to the Iranian people as well. For instance, we can display the paintings of the most famous Finnish artists in the galleries, or show films which introduce the Nordic countries in the cinema halls here,” Kamarainen said.
The Norwegian envoy pointed out that although the Scandinavian countries have separate histories and different traditions, yet their geographical proximity makes them close; so it can be interesting for the Iranian audience to see their art works together in one place.”
Like her Finnish counterpart, she welcomed showing paintings and movies of her country and further suggested musical performances from Norway to be organized in Iran.
Asserting that “Iran benefits from an ancient and rich civilization,” the Danish official said, “At the time your country was culturally flourishing, we were dwelling in an era similar to the Stone Age!”
Plenty to Offer
Simonsen underlined that while Denmark has made strides in cinema, it has a lot to offer in drawing, painting, and sculpture. “It would be a great pleasure to present Danish art and culture here,” he added.
At the end of the meeting Sarsangi added that the countries which “try to be culturally effective in the world today are not those that can boast of their past glory, but the ones focusing on the present and future.”
He said he would make efforts to launch art programs of the Scandinavian countries in the near future, including, visual arts, movies and even music.
The IAF, established nearly 14 years ago, is involved in showcasing works of artists in different fields such as painting, calligraphy, graphic design, photography, etc.
