The Deputy Minister for Handicrafts and Traditional Arts said: Sarv-e Simin festival is an opportunity to use the capacity of other festivals related to handicrafts.
Maryam Jalali, the Deputy Minister for Handicrafts and Traditional Arts, at the press conference of the 8th Fajr International Handicrafts and Traditional Arts Festival, held this morning Sunday January 28, at the Gallery Cafe of Azadi Tower, stated: this event is a link in a chain which has been organized based on Engineer Zarghami's policies.
She stated that all the plans for holding this event are based on meaningful circles, and that Azadi Tower as a symbol of Iranian architectural arts and having a wide range of meaning has been chosen as the host of the festival with the same purpose.
Jalali pointed to the policy of strengthening attention and changing the approach from cultural to economic and connecting handicrafts to the literature of development and value chain, and called the special attention of the president to this area as a sign of the change in the status of this area.
The Deputy Minister for Handicrafts and Traditional Arts stated that a new chapter related to Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH) has opened in the 8th edition of this festival, and called Imamzadeh as places of devotion of handicrafts artisans to Ahl al-Bayt.
She pointed to “intergenerational bonding, safeguarding identity in the world” as the slogan of this edition, and mentioned modernization, education of producers and attention of the young generation as the components needed to expand the handicrafts market, and considered festival as a place to find the meaning of authenticity and roots.
Jalali pointed to intra-organizational cohesion and extra-organizational understanding and added: The Policy Making Council of Fajr Handicrafts Festival consists of 23 institutions that play a significant role in the field of culture, and this festival can be a place for greater interaction and convergence with these institutions.
The Deputy Minister for Handicrafts and Traditional Arts stating that the supply of handicrafts in the provinces has increased and according to the order of the president, handicrafts markets have been opened in the entrances of the cities, added: Our emphasis is to promote handicrafts in a continuous line from the time of creation to consumption, to pay attention to the different components and areas, and all our efforts in this year have been focused on this issue.
She announced the submission of 5,000 artworks from 2,000 artisans and participation of 16 countries in this event and the presence of 300 artworks from veterans in the field of handicrafts and traditional arts, and by stating that Fajr Handicrafts Festival is the festival of festivals, she pointed to use the capacity of other related festivals in this event.
Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Serbia, Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, China, Colombia, Tajikistan, North Macedonia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand are sixteen countries participating in this event.
The Deputy Minister for Handicrafts and Traditional Arts mentioned the concentration of all components of development, promotion and sales in Azadi Tower during this event and announced the planning for holding various workshops, participation of students and university students of related fields, the special section of Razavi art with the title " "Honar Dar Haram" (Art in Shrine) and role-playing and presentation of the achievements of the World Crafts Cities and Villages of Iran.
Using Capacity of Artificial Intelligence to Help Handicrafts
Morteza Emadi, the secretary of the 8th Fajr Handicrafts and Traditional Arts Festival, called the use of artificial intelligence in the field of handicrafts advertising, the savior of this field and added: 8 Sarv-e Simin Statuettes, 2 Farda Plaques,
1 Regrowth of Sarv Statuette, 1 Toranj-e Simin Statuette and 1 Honar Dar Haram Statuette are Statuettes that will be awarded at the closing ceremony.
Referring to the activity of more than 21 committees to hold this event, he continued: the newest committee is Artificial Intelligence, Metaverse and New Technologies.
Emadi mentioned the planning and timing in the field of environmental and virtual advertising and added: with media psychology, advertising is done when the target audience is being aware of this event.
The flag parade of the world Craft Cities on February 16, the execution of mapping with handicrafts content on Azadi Tower, singing the handicrafts anthem at the opening ceremony, exhibiting the artworks of active artisans in the shrine, and exhibiting the artworks of national and international artisans in the halls of the Azadi Tower were among the programs mentioned by the executive secretary of the 8th Fajr International Handicrafts and Traditional Arts Festival.
At the end of this meeting, the motion related to the festival was screened for the media reporters and the poster of the festival was unveiled with the presence of one of handicraft veterans and a potter student as a symbol of intergenerational bonding.
The 8th edition of Fajr International Handicrafts and Traditional Arts Festival titled "8th Sarv-e Simin" will be held from 16 to 20 February 2024 in Tehran.
Translation by: Mina Amidzade