The 2021 edition of the National Cultural Festival for Arabic Calligraphy was inaugurated yesterday evening at the Culture Palace, Moufdi Zakaria, in Algiers, with the participation of 40 calligraphers from different provinces of the country.
The exhibition included a group of calligraphy paintings that reflected the talents of Algerian calligraphers, as well as Arab and Islamic artistic creativity in the art of calligraphy in its traditional and contemporary aspects.
The participating works showed the nobility of this art and the diversity of its methods in terms of form and contents, where the calligraphers highlighted the diversity and differences that occurred in Arabic calligraphy.
Mohamed Lamine Bentorkya, Beni Mohamed Said, Doukh Abdelghani, Ben Chaabane Zouhir, Bodraaf Mohamed and Samri Yacine Khathir Omar, as well as other calligraphers from different provinces of the country, such as M’sila, Medea, Oum El-Bouaghi and Jijel participate in this edition.
In a speech delivered on the occasion, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture and Arts, Zouhir Ballalou, affirmed that the Arabic Calligraphy Festival has been a “gain” since 2007 and a destination for Algerian and foreign artists.
The spokesman assured that the Ministry of Culture and Arts will continue to support and encourage this event, which celebrates ancient art, stressing the need to support training in calligraphy in both the classical and contemporary areas.
The same official also called for the necessity of creating a market for calligraphy and promoting calligraphers and their works through digital platforms, noting in this regard that an electronic portal “My Painting” was recently launched to display and sell works of art.
For his part, the festival commissioner, Mohamed Safar Bati, said that the art of calligraphy in Algeria has witnessed “dynamism” since the last decade through the organization of activities, the most important of which are the National Days for Arabic Calligraphy in Biskra and the International Festival of Arabic Calligraphy, Decoration and Miniatures.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Arts and members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Algeria, as well as calligraphers.
The activities of the National Cultural Festival for Arabic Calligraphy will continue until May 8, with open lectures and workshops organized by prominent artists in the art of Arabic calligraphy.
