In a message to the festival, Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili wrote, “If the growth of literature and storytelling promotes the audio arts, then the growth of all arts is undoubtedly dependent on the development of the visual arts”.
The opening ceremony was attended by Mahmoud Shalouie, adviser to the minister, Deputy Culture Minister for Art Affairs Mahmoud Salari, Iran’s Visual Arts Office Director Hadi Mozaffari, and Director of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art Ehsan Aqaei.
This edition of the festival, which welcomes visitors through February 19, is hosting 10,862 artworks by 4,345 artists.
Among the competitors, 2,560 female artists submitted their works to the festival, which is about 50 percent more than the number of male artists (1,785).
The Iranian capital, Tehran, has by far the highest number of contenders (1,473) in comparison with other Iranian provinces (2,872).
The festival consists of 10 sections, having three jury members for each.
Source: Iran Daily