“Six Weeks of Iranian Art” comes to Toronto Again
We are delighted to announce that the popular festival ‘Six Weeks of Iranian Art’ will come to Toronto for a second time this fall.
Starting on September 21st, 2012, for six weeks Toronto’s Queen Gallery will be host to an exciting and eclectic series of Iranian art exhibits, featuring the work of internationally renowned and award winning Iranian artists alongside that of emerging young talent from the ranks of the growing Iranian-Canadian community. From visual arts to captivating theatre, music and film, this 6 week festival aims to cast the spotlight on Iranian art and Iranian-Canadian artists, while embracing Canada’s rich multicultural community.
‘Six Weeks of Iranian Art’ is the cultural focal point for the 150,000 strong Iranian Canadian community and an invitation to all Canadians to come and be inspired, intrigued, and amazed by an innovating and thought provoking program that showcases the Iranian cultural heritage and celebrates its contribution to the richness of the Canadian cultural mosaic. The theme of the 2012 festival is ‘Art of the minute- Minute of the Art’ as a reflection on the creative process. The Minute of the Art captures the moment in the creative process that transforms an ordinary endeavour to a timeless work of art. The life-long journey of every artist to master that creative peak, is the ‘Art of the Minute’– the devotion and hard work that artists put into every minute of a life-long journey to master a craft. Six Weeks of Iranian Art will celebrate the journey of artists as well as showcasing masterpieces.
The festival program includes four visual arts exhibitions including the work of the renowned international art master Mohsen Vaziri, four musical performances including Araz Salek and Mahsa Madahian, and screening of a selection of the best Iranian short films and documentaries, including the work of Seifollah Samadian. The program also includes interactive workshops, screen-play readings, story-telling and networking events as well as a dusk-to-dawn continuous projection of short films and selected art works for the public.
A daily electronic bulletin, Eastern Breeze, will be issued from September 19th to November 2nd with in-depth coverage of the program, incisive art critique, cultural insight, a spot light on the artist of the day, bios, interview and more.
“Our aim is to promulgate the vibrant cultural and intellectual contribution of the growing Canadian-Iranian community and to preserve the Iranian cultural heritage” says the festival curator, Pooyan Tabatabaei – the young Canadian-Iranian photo journalist recognized by the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada in 2011 for his courage in exposing crimes against humanity. Six Weeks of Iranian Art will be a conduit for cultural exchange with the Canadian art circles and a vehicle for interaction amongst artists. This event will broadcast the voice of Canadian-Iranian artists to a larger audience, facilitate cultural dialogue and help integrate Iranian-Canadian artists in the vibrant multi-cultural art scene in Canada.
“This series of exhibitions rises above political references and concerns to focus on the equalization of cultures… an enthusiasm that ranges from modernism to the post-modern conversation currently engaged in the light of cultural diversity that makes up the Canadian demographic” said Julie Oakes, Art Critic about the first ‘Six Weeks of Iranian Art” festival that was held 2007. The 2012 festival promises to be even better, featuring a wider selection of artists and more local support from within the Canadian-Iranian community as well as the local art community in Toronto.
Join us for the 2012 “Six Weeks of Iranian Art” festival at the Queens Gallery located at 382 Queen Street East in Toronto starting September 21st for a celebration of Iranian art that is sure to become the next cultural sensation of Toronto.
