TEHRAN – The 11th National Biennale of Contemporary Iranian Ceramic Art was inaugurated on Saturday at the Niavaran Cultural Center in Tehran after a nine-year hiatus.
The exhibition opened online for spectators, however, the director of the Office of Visual Arts, Hadi Mozaffari, the Minister of Culture in charge of artistic affairs, Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini, and the director of the event, Hirbod Hemmat -Azad, made the official opening statements and visited the exhibition on the day of the opening.
Hosseini said that poetry and ceramics, with their long experience in Iranian culture and history, show that they have occupied people and artisans in the past.
“The varied works made in the past and the colorful ceramics, including those used in homes for daily use and for decoration, indicate the use of this art in the lives of Iranians,” he noted.
This biennale, which resumed after 9 years, also indicated that Iran is a big and rich country, especially in the field of art with young artists.
“If we put the ancient heritage next to today’s ability, we would see how useful this ceramic art could be. Therefore, valuable works will also be produced,” he remarked.
For his part, Mozzafari also noted that he is happy to see the biennial resume after many years. He also hopes that they can offer more facilities for artists and people to be able to visit the works while respecting health protocols.
“We are all trying to create more artistic and visual biennials in the country and help revive the old ones,” he added.
Hemmat-Azad also said that the organizers believe the event will inject hope and happiness among the artists and the people despite the difficult days, and hope that the biennale will be held under better conditions next year and have better achievements.
The exhibition will last for a month.
Photo: A ceramic installation is displayed in the courtyard of the Niavaran Cultural Center in Tehran during the 11th National Biennial of Contemporary Iranian Ceramic Art on October 31, 2020. (Honaronline)
RM/YAW