A Review of Several Specialized Meetings

A Review of Several Specialized Meetings

A Review of Several Specialized Meetings at the Research Center for Culture, Arts and Communication

One of the activities of the Research Center for Culture, Arts and Communication is to hold scientific and specialized meetings with the presence of experts, scholars, academic professors, and those interested in the scientific activities by the three institutes of religion and culture, arts, and communication. A brief description of the three sessions of the meetings held in 2018 by this institute is presented in the following:

 

Research Institute of Religion and Culture: Sixth Meeting of the Sessions of Culture and Art Economics on "Exploring the Reasons for the Closure of Bookstores"

The sixth meeting of the series of specialized meetings of culture and art economics was held in Iran on the study of the reasons behind the closure of bookstores. The results of the meeting can be categorized as follows:

  • Failure to provide required training for the booksellers: failure to provide required training is a major shortcoming of bookstores. Bookstore staff should be trained on how to sell the books. A good bookstore worker is a worker who introduces additional book(s) to the customer, apart from what they have requested. A bookstore worker should be well read and be able to introduce similar books to the customer.
  • Internet Stores: One of the factors behind the downturn of bookstores is the shift in technology. A large part of the book sales markets have been taken over by the social networks. Customers no longer go to the bookstores, and they receive their books directly from the book bank or e-books at home.
  • Lack of government support: Another factor is the lack of support for bookstores by the government. Bookselling business requires great governmental support for its survival. Bookstores have many costs including taxes, insurance, utilities, telephone and salaries of personnel that should be covered by the sales.
  • Lack of cost awareness: One of the biggest problems in bookstores, especially new bookstores, is the lack of knowledge about the costs as well as financial information. Most of the newly opened bookstores are rentals and because of the high costs, they cannot balance their income and costs. Consequently, they have to close the shop after a while. However, one of the main reasons for the decline in book sales and closing of bookstores is the poor quality of the books, both in content and in appearance.

Quantity-Orientation and False Statistics: governmental support is one of the major problems of the publishing industry. No administration interfered in publishing industry, apart from the cases of censorship, before the Islamic Revolution. Therefore, the publishing industry had its own natural and balanced growth. After the revolution, since most of the revolutionaries were penmen and they had a close relationship with this industry, naturally they had a special interest in developing it. However, a serious deviation, reflected in the form of quantity- and statistics- orientation. These supports created disorder. Some of these disorders existed in the previous system as well, but they were intensified in the new system. One of these disorders is the difference between the number of publishers and booksellers. That is, in contrast to the whole world, the number of book producers (publishers) in Iran is several times the number of distributors and sellers.

 

Art Research Institute: Art and Cultural Diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran at Expo World Exhibitions

Since the first expo was held in 1851, they have enjoyed great cultural significance as important international events. Considering that Iran is now participating in expos, the Art Research Institute was determined to provide an overview of the quality of Iran's presence in these events by studying how they are held in Iran and in the world. The topic of the meeting is how Iran participates in this global event and how successful the Islamic Republic of Iran has been in its presence - based on the knowledge governing the expos in the international cultural arena - and enhance its political goals in the context of artistic-cultural diplomacy. Iran has attended the event was taking a number of approaches, the most important of which can be considered the design of the Pavilion. Other approaches Iran in five Expo Exhibitions it has participated includes performing traditional music and dances and displaying customs through exhibiting the traditional clothes, handicrafts and other commercial products. Each approach can be analyzed separately.

Iran's first appearance at the Tijuan Expo (South Korea, 1993) was based on the theme of the exhibition: "A Call for a New Path to Development." At the entrance, the pavilion depicted the traditions and attitudes of Iranians towards their nature and their biological environment.  Drawings of nature, the scene of the hunting ground as well as the elements of nature and architecture, familiarized the audience with the spirit of Iran. Followed by each other, there was a part of the wall of Persepolis, the gates of a garden, a gate indicating the traditional Iranian architecture, and finally a gate indicating the symbol of the industrial age. The Iranian handicrafts and traditional customs were also displayed on another part of the Pavilion. The Iranian art was displayed by samples of handmade carpets, emboss working and mosaic tiles by traditional artists. In the chambers, various aspects of traditional Iranian life were depicted showing the features of Iranian customs, dressing, hospitality, getting together, traditional products and commerce. Iran’s fifth appearance in the Expos was associated with its participation in the Lisbon Expo (Portugal, 1998). In this expo, the Pavilion was designed so that to display the Iranian cultural and artistic status among other countries. Due to the delay in declaring Iran's participation in the exhibition, there was no specific design and construction based on the theme of the Expo, which was: "Oceans: a Legacy for the Future," and due to limited time, the Research Center only reproduced a part of the arrangement of the Islamic Republic's Pavilion at Tijuan Expo (1993). In the Iranian-Islamic market, different types of Iranian handicrafts were put up for sale, in addition to being displayed. In the meantime, films about Iran's nature and its political-economic geography were also displayed.

Iran’s third appearance was in Hannover Expo (Germany, 2000), in which Iran devoted its artistic expression to the design of the Pavilion, the display and sale of handicrafts and organic merchandise, as well as works of Iranian paintings and film screenings. Visitors could also visit the commercial section of Iran. In this section, with the construction of a view of Iranian windbreakers made with aluminum structures and a roof depicting the sky of desert, a space was formed in which carpets, handicrafts and food products of different areas of Iran such as pistachio, nuts, raisins and saffron were provided and sold. In another section, a number of Iranian painters who attended this expo with the coordination of the Center for Dialogue among Civilizations, the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, and Museum of Contemporary Arts in Tehran, participated in five following activities: Presentation of paintings, creation of works of painting in a workshop, group painting on the topic of dialogue among civilizations, painting of children and painting for exhibition memorial passports. In the context of the dialogue among civilizations, they painted a panel that depicted the cultural, religious, and technological symbols of different nations, emphasizing the human dignity, freedom, peaceful unity and coexistence as well as mutual respect for cultures and traditions. The purpose of this section was to present the works of Iranian art in order to reduce prejudices about Iran and create constructive and human relations in order to develop the possibility of dialogue among civilizations.

Iran’s fourth attendance was in Aichi Expo (Japan, 2005). In this exhibition, the design of the Pavilion, the presentation and sale of handicrafts and products, the performance of Iranian music, and the display of customs with traditional clothes were carried out in the same manner as the previous Expos. Outside of the Pavilion music of different parts of Iran was performed in order to increase the attraction of visitors, and most of the pavilion rooms were assigned to the commercial section and sales of Iranian goods while also displaying handicrafts such as exquisite tableaus, rugs and handwoven items. In addition, visitors could buy local Iranian drinks and meals. A number of Iranian women with traditional dresses were present in some parts of the pavilion, guiding visitors, carrying out certain customs, and engaging in the production of artworks.

Iran attended Expose for the fifth time in Shanghai Expo (China, 2010). Iran’s artistic expression in this expos was similar to that of the previous ones, with the difference that, the theme of "Integration of Different Cultures in a City" was selected based on the theme of the exhibition, i.e. "A Better City, A Better Life"; so that, the design of the external and internal parts of the Pavilion, the objectives of visiting, the layout of products and provision of recreational and entertainment services were all based on this theme. In a part of the pavilion space, an Iranian carpet loom was put up with a slogan of “One Knot towards Empathy”, which was woven by an Iranian carpet weaver to be finally presented to the office of Expo as a symbol of Iran.

With an area of about 400 square meters, the commercial section was located on the balcony of the Pavilion, in which items such as carpets, tablatures, handicrafts, saffron, tea, etc. were exhibited and sold. During this period, the local music was performed in a number of ways: 1. performing on the scene of a water pond in the middle of the Pavilion, with the aim of showing affection in the Iranian community. 2. Group performance, along with local dances, in order to attract visitors both on national day of Iran and on other occasions of Expo. By makeup, a number of coworkers in the exhibition made their appearance in the form of a variety of characters from traditional mythical thinkers and craftsmen. A number of Chinese ladies were employed with traditional clothes at the pavilion to be a guide for other visitors.

By reviewing the way in which Iran participates in the World Expos, from the beginning to 2010, we found out that as a strategy, Iran has merely replicated its historical architectural principles in the design of the pavilions, and could not, with deep-thinking, relate them to its cultural-political contexts as the visual signifiers. Iran has not followed the innovative design process to cover the biological, cultural, social, and economic objectives of sustainable development. Although the historical architecture of Iran is one of the most prominent aspects of identifying the laws governing the universe to create an environment suitable for human life that not only does not impose destruction and damage on the environment but also meets the human needs for growth;, the use of this potential in the contemporary era needs to be reproduced and evolved in order to be used in the design of the pavilions. As far as the provision and sale of handicrafts are concerned, Iran has only provided local handicrafts in local markets and has not been able to cover them with the objectives of the economic and cultural system of sustainable development. Although in the past centuries, this art-industry, at the height of its development, was considered to be a kind of instrumental technology and cultural expression, and provided all of our functional needs and was regarded as a source of export resource that creates job and income in a traditional economic cycle, today, as far as the Expos are concerned, the sale and provision of these products has not been made with the knowledge and understanding of the relations, interactions and global commercial and cultural mechanisms. Regarding the performance of Iranian customs, local dances and the multifaceted display of Iranian monuments at the Expo, it can be said that if the national identity is based on the three pillars of identity foundations, the feeling of belonging, and awareness of them, although the Iranian government has presented a multifaceted view of its land and it has an account of these foundations and feelings of belonging to them, since the third pillar has been ignored or, in other words, the Iranian exhibitors were not fully aware of it, they have thus not been able to link the foundations to its political-cultural purports, in a specific and targeted orientation, aiming at providing national interests; and express them in order to cover the goals of sustainable development through influencing the public opinion.

Although the Islamic Republic of Iran has tried to meet its goals and missions by participating in Expos and showing its achievements, both nationally and internationally, in line with the themes and topics of Expos, and ultimately, presenting itself interacting with other states, Iran has failed in this regard for two reasons: "Not having enough recognition of the knowledge governing the World Expos” and "lack of knowledge for the purposeful use of the foundations, components and characteristics of Iranian-Islamic art and their reproduction in accordance with the requirements of the contemporary era". For these two reasons, Iran has not been able to conceive concepts and values in the controversial topics of the Expo in its periodic presence at this global events and consolidate its artistic diplomacy. The provision of solutions to the environmental challenges of the human community, the presentation of innovative, surprising and spectacular views on national life show, and the sharing of a conceptual framework of Iran's national and religious culture with other audiences are among the goals that have not been met due to Iran's poor artistic expression in such an artistic cultural arena.

 

Communication Institute: National Media in the Media Sphere of Iran

A collection of active media that are available to the audience, called the Media Sphere, is a diverse range of media, in which every movement and thinking, even individuals and groups that are known to be against the ruling system, can use the available tools such as the satellites and the cyberspace to speak and send their message to the audience.

The features of the media sphere can be summarized as follows:

  • The Media Sphere is a diverse and multifaceted space of media that is moving toward interaction and dependence to the broadband and cyberspace every day.
  • In the Media Sphere, the media are in competition to gain more share of the audience.
  • In the Media Sphere, the audience consider themselves to be effective in the production and delivery of content, and expect to gain more of what they like in less time.
  • The future is very changing and unpredictable in terms of media technology, and it is becoming audience-centered. Future performance also depends on correct decisions made by related authorities in the face of these changes and innovations.

On the other hand, the national media in Iran refers to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Organization. The complete inefficiency of the national media is the result of on a number of factors, including various decision making groups, slow implementation [of decisions], the IRIB body's mismatch with its managers along with the need for organizational cleansing, as well as lack of planning for proper activity in cyberspace or failure to implement these programs, lack of media functionality based on the audience's desire and need, lack of flexibility of the broadcast timetable, lack of access of audience to the content at the desired time, unprofessional programs, rigorous and non-impartial tone, avoiding to express all the views, and lack of specific strategies in the IRIB organization plus having monopolistic approach. The main rivals of the national media in the media field can be divided into two groups; the first group includes cyber-media and social networks, which attract more audience due to the changes in the media-related habits of audience, expressing the not-expressed angles of news, and quick, attractive, and intimate audio-visual packages, as well as providing self-production and self-selection services for the audience. The second group includes satellite channels. Due to exact identification of the audience, professional production based on audiences' needs and desires, the use of contents such as violence, publishing the news not broadcasted in IRIB and paying special attention to the field of entertainment, especially the sectors such as music that is less open to the national media, the satellite channels are the main national media rivals.