TEHRAN – The Mexican Ambassador to Tehran visited the third event in the series of “Art & War” exhibitions at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA), which explored the theme of war as seen by Mexican artists in the works found in the museum’s treasured collection. 

Guillermo Puente Ordorica met with Reza Dabirinejad, the director of the museum, during his visit. Both parties emphasized the importance of expanding joint museum and cultural programs, IRNA reported.

During the meeting, the Mexican Ambassador referenced his country's historical experience with independence movements, stating, “Prominent Mexican artists have always placed humanity and human dignity at the center of their works. Art is one of the most important tools for preserving cultural identity and strengthening human values”.

Emphasizing the role of art in ending violence, he added: “War is not the solution to disputes. Nations can achieve understanding and coexistence through diplomacy, dialogue, and cultural engagement. Cultural diplomacy and art create a bridge between nations.”

The Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the museum’s approach of utilizing art to foster dialogue and understanding between cultures and declared the Embassy’s readiness to host joint programs in the fields of culture, art, cinema, and research.

The exhibition “Eleven Artworks by Mexican Printmakers,” which concluded on June 7, included two valuable works by renowned Mexican artists, David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco, dating back to the 1920s, depicting the struggles of the people of Mexico.

Alongside these two works, a collection of nine contemporary Mexican works was also on display, focusing on scenes of the War of Independence and the social formation of Mexican identity.

The “Art & War” exhibition, featuring works from the treasured collection of the TMoCA, offers a unique opportunity to revisit and analyze how contemporary wars influence the formation of different art movements.

The exhibition has been planned as an artistic reaction to the 40-day American-Zionist assault on Iran (from February 28 to April 8), which martyred about 3,500 people, including the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, several officials and military commanders, as well as numerous civilians, including women and children.

During the 40-day war (also known as the Ramadan War), besides some military targets, the US and Israel launched organized attacks against civilian infrastructure, including residential homes, hospitals, refineries, power plants, schools, universities, art and cultural spaces, bookstores, museums, and ancient sites in several cities, causing total or partial damage and injuring innocent people.

The TMoCA plans to gradually make more works available to audiences, so that with each visit, they can gain deeper insight into the impact of art when confronting historical and contemporary crises.

SS/SAB