Tehran to host Austrian cultural festival

TEHRAN,June 5(MNA) -- The Iranian artist Forum (IAF) in Tehran will be playing host to an Austrian cultural festival, which will be held by a group of artists and musicians from the country on June 9. The Austrian Ambassador Thomas M. Buchsbaum recently met with IAF Director Majid Sarsangi and they discussed different programs arranged for the Austrian cultural festival. Several art shows, music and theater performances, film screenings and book readings have been arranged for the festival. Ambassador Buchsbaum called Iran a country with profound culture and civilization, and expressed hope that cultural relations with the IAF will help Iranians become more familiar with the art and culture of his country. “Unfortunately, Oriental art has not been introduced to the West as it truly deserves and we hope this event increases cultural exchanges between the East and the West,” Sarsangi said. The festival will be a good opportunity for Western artists and scholars to learn more about Oriental art, he added. An exhibition entitled “One Hundred Years of Islam in Austria” will also be held on the sidelines of the festival. The exhibition will present aspects of the cultural influence of Islam on Austrian society over the past century. The festival will be running until June 14 at the forum located on Musavi St., off Taleqani Ave.