Past and Present exhibition opened at the University of Culture art gallery in Minsk on 7 February.
The exhibition has been organized by the University of Culture art gallery and the Iranian Embassy in Belarus. It is timed to the 45th anniversary of the victory of Islamic Revolution of Iran.
The exhibition is divided into several thematic zones and features handicrafts made of wood and copper by Iranian craftsmen (khatamkari, minakari), traditional Persian miniatures performed by Iranian contemporary artists, and photos of Iranian famous scientists and their achievements.
“Unfortunately, people who live abroad usually look at Iran from afar and know only about its ancient civilization, culture and architecture. They are not familiar at all with the achievements of modern Iran in various fields. Many people think that Iran has a very low standard of living and welfare due to sanctions. Therefore, at the exhibition we tried to show modern achievements in science and technology. We wanted to demonstrate that despite the tough sanctions Iran has made great progress, especially in such areas of science and technology as nanotechnology, biotechnology, pharmaceutics, aerospace and nuclear technologies and rocket production,” Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Belarus Alireza Sanei said.
“We also attempted to show the achievements of Iranian women in science, technology and sports. Unfortunately, the propaganda of the Western media has created the opinion that Iranian women have no rights, do not work and stay at home. We show their engagement in our public life,” the ambassador emphasized.
Director of the University of Culture art gallery Marina Tatarevich noted that the gallery has been organizing local exhibition projects together with the Iranian Embassy in Belarus for about 10 years. “For the gallery it has become not just a tradition, but a hallmark in a way. Every year, such events reveal to us new sides of this amazing country. It is worth saying that the exhibition presents the Iranian achievements not only in art and culture, but also in science, education and medicine. The art works by Iranian authors occupy a special place, as their works are very outstanding and romantic,” she added.
“The development of international cooperation in art is one of the main tasks for the gallery. That is why we deeply appreciate the close friendly relations between Belarus and Iran that have developed for the past 30 years ago,” the gallery director concluded.
