The director of the National Documents and Library Organization of Iran, Fars Center, referring to the launch of the National Art Archive, said: “This is important with the aim of excellence of Shiraz culture in the field of digital archives of seven arts and is a unique work in the world.”
According to Artmag, quoted by ISNA, Kourosh Kamali Sarvestani said at the opening ceremony of the Iranian National Art Archive in Shiraz on Saturday evening, October 9, 2021: “Today, this archive is a religious tribute for us, as the artists of this region have dedicated their lives to its creation throughout history.”
He also described the launch of the National Archives of Iranian Art as an opportunity to emerge and manifest the lasting truth of Iranian art and stated: “This archive includes seven arts from Iranian history, including traditional, official, local, religious and modern music, performing arts including theatre, ta’zieh, puppet shows and local, traditional and ritual stomps, visual arts including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, design, photography, Quranography, traditional arts. Glassworking, pugs, inlaid and carpets, literature including poetry, fiction, plays and screenplays, architecture including ancient Iranian architecture, Islamic period architecture and Iranian architecture today, and finally cinema including art cinema and documentary cinema form this archive.
The director of the National Library and Archives of Iran, Fars Center, explained how the formation of the National Art Archive of Iran said: In all these fields, the National Archives of Iranian Art digitally gave all visual and audio works, written documents, books, publications, biographies, documentary films and photographs of artists, art posters, etc. collected.
Kamali Sarvestani continued: In this regard, the National Art Archive of Iran is the first art archive of its kind in the world, which in the first step includes 3,200 movies, 60,000 luxury music files, 12,000 e-book titles for seven arts, 20,000 files of works. Artists of theater, taziyeh, literature, calligraphy, Quranography, painting, sculpture and film are documented.
He noted: “We have tried to adhere to the scientific criteria of display content, usability, interaction and feedback and electronic and technical services in the executive plan of the National Archives of Iranian Art in order to have a great service to posterity by aggregating and accessible works of the seven arts of Iran’s history.
Kamali Sarvestani, referring to the observance of copyright as well as the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the World Intellectual Property Organization, noted: In the initial assessment, about 80% of the assets will be available for public and online use and the other 20% according to the country’s laws. It will be available offline and only to art researchers, which is mainly related to cinema and music.
Referring to the 5-year plan for the development and completion of this archive, he said: In this regard, codified programs such as the formation of the Supreme Council of the National Archives of Iranian Art with the presence of prominent artists of seven arts and experts and researchers and legal figures, preparation and selection of suitable land and design and construction of the National Archives of Iranian Art, collection, classification and listing of all works of the seven arts, software design and application for the National Archives. Iranian art in Persian and English languages, recording and compiling the oral history of Iranian art in conversation with artists and critics, editing the Encyclopedia of Iranian Art, compiling bibliography and essays of Iranian art, establishing a specialized library of Iranian art, creating a special section for collectors of Iranian art, awarding the Annual Iranian Art Badge to prominent artists as well as supporters of the National Archives of Iranian Art, holding the Biennial of The Iranian Art Olympiad and communicating with libraries, museums and galleries of the world And Iranians abroad have been drafted to collect digital copies of Iranian artworks around the world.
