The Seventh Contemporary Painting Biennial opened on Tuesday night at Saba Cultural-Artistic Institute affiliated to Iran’s Academy of Arts.
According to ISNA, the inaugural ceremony was attended by a number of cultural officials, art enthusiasts and art students.
The biennial, which is being held after a four-year interval, has on display some 500 paintings by 430 artists.
Veteran artist Ahmad Esfandiari, a pioneer of modern painting in Iran, was among the 30 guest artists at the event.
Speaking at the event, Habibollah Sadeqi, curator of Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, appreciated the efforts of organizers of the biennial. He also listed seven exhibitions and biennials held in several branches of visual arts in the past one and a half years.
Referring to interval in holding the biennials, he said, “We will do our best to hold future art events in an organized manner.“
He expressed pleasure that the event is being held concurrent with the 29th anniversary of the victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.
“The exhibition provides an opportunity for talented artists to present Iranian spiritual and intellectual art to the fans,“ he said.
A section of the biennial has been devoted to late Iranian artists, including Asghar Mohammadi, Sohrab Sepehri, Hossein Kazemi, Alireza Espahbod and Jazeh Tabatabai.

A three-day seminar on oriental theater themed ’Traditionalism and Modernism’ opened on Tuesday at Tehran’s Sangelaj Hall.
At the opening ceremony, theater expert, Farhad Nazerzadeh Kermani spoke about Indian theatrical forms, according to ISNA.
Kermani, who holds a PhD in cinema and theater from Ohio State University in the USA, said, “Indian, Japanese and Chinese theater were the three major theater movements of the 1980’s. While, other theatrical forms, including those of Singapore and Malaysia emerged by the early 21st century.“
Indian theater, which came to prominence in the last half of the 20th century, became an influential movement in modern times. Even chirographers in Europe are today inspired by Kathakali, a traditional dance from the south Indian state of Kerala, he added.
The expert noted that there are 11 geographical areas in India, each with its own distinct theatrical styles. However, given the English language spoken in all areas, the forms are quite interrelated.
Commenting on the influence of Persian language on Indian theater, he said, “Numerous Persian words, pertaining to the pre-Islamic era, are found in Indian theatrical texts, which are also inspired by Zoroastrian thoughts.“
Turning to the modern Indian theater, Kermani said that as a result of British colonization, traditional forms experienced a grand fusion with western theatrical styles influenced by the ideas of Russian and German playwrights Constantin Stanislavski and Bertolt Brecht, respectively.
Meanwhile, traditional Indonesian theater and shadow theater were reviewed in another section of the event.

Hamadan Winter Festival opened in Abbasabad Hill, Eram Gardens and Tourism Complex in the city on Tuesday.
Announcing this, head of Hamadan Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department, Asadollah Bayat told IRNA that the most important objective of the event is to attract tourists during the winter to Hamadan province.
He further said that a large number of visitors can be attracted to the region by organizing various programs such as ice skating competitions.
Organizing skiing contest, creating ice sculptures and snowmen as well as arranging mountaineering expeditions are among the variety of programs planned at the festival.
Photography contest and visits to Khangaarmaz protected area in Toyserkan are also on the agenda, he noted.
There are a total of 1,300 historical monuments in Hamadan province, 403 of which have so far been registered on the national heritage list. The city of Hamadan, known in ancient times as Hegmataneh or Ekbatan, is believed to be among the oldest in Iran and indeed in the world.
It is a verdant mountainous area on the foothills of the 3,574-meter Alvand Mountain. The special nature of the old quarters, the historic sites and cool weather attract tourists to the city during the summer. It is located approximately 400km southwest of Tehran.

Mohammad Reza Shajarian rests in a Tehran hospital.

Prominent Iranian vocalist Mohammad Reza Shajarian who was admitted to Kasra Hospital due to pulmonary complaint will be discharged within the next few days, IRNA reported.
According to hospital officials, the vocalist underwent surgery and his condition is satisfactory. Shajarian expressed his gratitude to those who prayed for his health.
Born in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi province in 1940, Shajarian is an internationally acclaimed traditional singer, composer and master of Persian music. He is the embodiment of the perfect singer and a source of inspiration for the younger generation.
In 1999, he received UNESCO’s prestigious Picasso Award which is one of the highest honors in Europe.

Members of the Writers Guild of America were planning a return to work Wednesday after voting to end their strike on its 100th day, thus allowing Hollywood to jump-start stalled production of numerous TV sitcoms and dramas.
For the Feb. 24 Academy Awards, the vote Tuesday by East and West Coast guild members ended the threat of a boycott by writers and actors that would have robbed the ceremony of its celebrity luster, reported AP.
The writers’ decided overwhelmingly in favor of ending the strike: 3,492 said yes, with only 283 voting to stay off the job. The number of guild members involved in the strike was 10,500, with countless other industry workers forced into unemployment because of the walkout.
Writers did not vote on the tentative contract agreement that already has won approval from the union’s board of directors. The contract ratification vote will be conducted by mail and at meetings and will conclude Feb. 25.
Approval is expected, given Tuesday’s lopsided decision and the enthusiasm for the proposed contract expressed at guild meetings held last weekend in New York and Los Angeles.
Under the tentative agreement, writers would get a maximum flat fee of about $1,200 for programs streamed on the Internet in the deal’s first two years and then get 2 percent of a distributor’s gross in year three Ñ a key union demand.
Other provisions include increased residual payments for movies and TV programs downloaded from the Internet.
The strike that began Nov. 5 dealt a financial blow to a wide range of businesses dependent on work from studios. It took a $3.2 billion toll in direct and indirect costs on the economy of Los Angeles County, the home of most of the nation’s TV and film production, according to a new estimate from Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.

Ki Dong Bai

Noted South Korean archeologist has announced the discovery of Iron Age sites in the caves of the heights of Samdor Valley, in Gilan province.
According to IRNA, a team of South Korean archeologists led by Ki Dong Bai focused its research works on the province to prove the theory about human migration from Africa to Central Asia through the southern coast of the Caspian Sea.
Expressing pleasure over the new findings at the site, Bai further stated, “We have excavated more than 30 sites since July 15 and the most important discovery is the cave in Yarshaldeman.“
A sharp tool and several animal remains were found in the cave, he said, adding this is considered a completely new discovery in the province. He said this signifies that more illuminating findings from the Paleolithic Era will be achieved.
The objective of the project is to develop a proper understanding about the region as a significant document for understanding the wave of human settlements in Central Asia and North Asia.
He hoped that a great model for human migration and cultural move in Europe-Asia can be developed by continuing excavations in the area.

Works by Saqqakhaneh, a form of traditional Iranian painting, artist, Hossein Zenderoudi, was reviewed in a session held at Art Bureau on Wednesday.
Mansoureh Aalikhani, an artist with the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization’s Art Bureau, reviewed Zenderoudi paintings at the session, reported Fars news agency.
Historical and political origins of this type of painting in Iran were also discussed at the event.

A preliminary conference on the 165th anniversary of photography in Iran was held on Wednesday at Iran National Library building.
The event, organized by Iran’s Documents and National Library Organization’s Research Center, was attended by art experts and representatives of centers for research on contemporary history, said Fars news agency.
Topics for discussion included the history of photography in Iran, listing and restoration of old and historical photos as well as introducing photo collections in the country.
An exhibition of photos, posters, lithography publications and manuscripts was held on the sidelines.

First competition on street theater photography will be held in Tehran, according to ISNA.
All the entries at the event will be displayed in an exhibition which is to be held concurrent with Theater Festival Week. The top works will be announced on Street Theater Festival Day. Artists’ House is scheduled to host the event.
Theater photographers should submit their works to the Public Relations Department of Theater House no later than March 5.
The contest and exhibit will be sponsored by the Association of Street Theater, Association of Theater Photographers and Iran’s Theater House.