We seek hope for the future of art in Iran: Farah Osuli

TEHRAN,Oct.1(MNA) -- The secretary of the Damonfar Painting Biennial said that the biennial seeks hope for the future of art in Iran. “Due to the age range of the artists participating in this biennial, people should not expect to find professional artworks from the submissions to the biennial,” Farah Osuli stated during a press conference in Tehran on Sunday. The biennial, which has been organized for artists under 25, will be held from October 5 to 19 at the gallery of the Mellat Cinema Complex. A total of 100 paintings created by 76 artists will compete in the biennial, she added. Osuli alongside Rana Farnud and Behrang Samadzadegan made the selections from the submitted artworks. “Most of the paintings were figurative however we tried to select paintings from different styles,” Osuli mentioned. She also spoke about the importance of recognizing young talent in different fields especially art, which is mostly done by gallery owners and the private sector in Iran. The Damonfar Company is the main organizer of the biennial, which was established in 2006 to introduce gifted young artists. The Saman Bank, an Iranian private bank, is also a sponsor of this edition of the biennial. She expressed her hope that the biennial would be held in in the coming year and the private sector would support this artistic event. She said that the winners, honorees and participants of the past three editions of the festival have held several exhibitions inside and outside Iran. The biennial aims to strength ties between veteran and emerging artists, the Managing Director of the Damonfar Company Seifollah Puya-Rad mentioned during the event. He also explained about the important role of the economy in the world saying that economic development enables artists to continue his or her activities. This edition of the biennial will focus on the art of painting. By means of the biennial, the artworks can be measured more professionally and there is enough time and space available to choose the best artworks. He also announced that the organizers of the festival would honor veteran gallery owner Lili Golestan during the closing ceremony of the event. The galleries in Iran have an important role in introducing young artists, he added. The festival was held in all fields of the visual arts during its first edition. Afterwards, its organizers decided to hold it biennially with a focus on painting. Damonfar is the Iranian representative of France’s Pebeo and Canson, and Germany’s Faber-Castell, three companies that manufacture art materials.