TEHRAN -- Iranian art is in a very sensitive situation and must eventually start speaking the universal language of art, the manager of the Second Damonfar Visual Arts Festival said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Seifollah Puya-Rad stated that there is no doubt that Iranian youth can create beautiful paintings which speak in a universal language but also maintain national identity and dignity, and this festival can be of great assistance in this regard.
The Second Damonfar Visual Arts Festival kicks off at the Niavaran Cultural Center and the Aseman Complex on June 13. This year’s biennial is dedicated to artists under 25 years old and will display paintings, poster designs, illustrations, and painting-calligraphy works.
The festival is being cosponsored by the Damonfar Company, which is the Iranian representative of France’s Pebeo and Germany’s Faber Castell, two companies that manufacture art materials.
Puya-Rad, who is also the managing director of the Damonfar Company, said that French artist Paz Esteverena has been invited to the festival to judge the event along with the Iranian members of the jury. He will also be holding several workshops for artists and art students.
The Iranian members of the jury are veteran artists Farah Osuli, Habibollah Sadeqi, and Mohammad-Ali Bani-Asadi, he added.
He went on to say that the private sector plays a major role in the development of the economy of art, and government can cooperate with the private sector to facilitate the importation of art materials into the country.
“Iranian companies can import art products at cheaper prices, which would help to promote art and culture in the country,” he noted.
At the press conference, the head of the jury, Hossein Khosrojerdi, said he is glad to see such festivals being held and stated that this edition of the biennial has been warmly received by the youth so far.
Over 4000 works were submitted to the secretariat, 500 of which were selected to go on display in the festival, he added.
The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, the Niavaran Cultural Center, the Saba Art and Cultural Institute, and the Visual Arts Office are providing non-financial support for the event