TEHRAN -- The Niavaran Cultural Center will host the 8th edition of the Bismillah Festival from August 4 to 14.

The center will host the festival, which focuses on posters, calligraphy and logotype works on the commencement of Ramadan beginning on August 2 in Iran.
In addition to artworks displaying various names of Allah, the festival has also other sections that will display works on the theme of Ramadan, resistance, waiting for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AS), Noruz and Ashura, the secretary of the event Mohammadreza Kamareii mentioned in a press conference on Tuesday.
“Over 5500 artworks were submitted to the secretary of the festival. Pakistani artists have the highest number participating at the gala while most Iranian participants are from Eastern Azerbaijan province,” he said.
Artists from Canada, U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Jordan, and Bangladesh took part at the festival, which Kamareii claims “is held without any official support, but is supported by sponsors.”
He said that the selected works will be published in an exquisite book with six different sections.
“The Saba Cultural Center did not cooperate with the festival for holding the exhibition during the month of Ramadan so we are holding it at the Niavaran Cultural Center,” he said.
The selected posters of the festival designed by the young artists with the theme of Bismillah and Ramadan will go on display in different parts of Tehran, he added.
He said that the unveiling ceremony of the festival’s book as well as the award ceremony for the winners will be held by Tehran Municipality’s Beautification Organization at the Eyvan-e Shams Hall on August 25.
“An Iranian gallery in Vancouver will display the artworks after the end of the exhibition in Iran,” he mentioned.
However he did not name the gallery and the exact date of the showcase.
“We aim to expand the festival with different types of art and even to have sections on the content and interpretation of Bismillah,” he said.