Shafaq News – Baghdad

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Iraq launched on Wednesday the “Enriching the Visual Space” initiative with a large art exhibition at the College of Fine Arts in Baghdad.

In his opening remarks, Higher Education Minister Naeem al-Aboudi announced that a new art market will be opened at the Iraqi Artists’ Syndicate to promote around 3,000 paintings produced by artists from across the country. “Universities and colleges will begin purchasing artworks to enrich their spaces with beauty,” he added.

Hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and calligraphy pieces were displayed during the event, contributed by students and artists from all Iraqi provinces.

Mohammad al-Kinani, a member of the ministry’s committee for the initiative, told Shafaq News that the program aims to “enrich and market the visual space,” noting that the ministry had succeeded “in what the Ministry of Culture has not achieved in marketing artistic works.”

The exhibited works represent various artistic schools, including abstract, impressionist, and cubist styles.

Young artists participating in the initiative see it as an important opportunity to promote their work and reach academic audiences.

Visual artist Ban al-Janabi said she contributed “experimental works about women,” including pieces titled The City and Challenges, some of which belong to the cubist school. “The torch in one of my paintings symbolizes hope,” she told Shafaq News, “while the mountains in another represent the difficulties and challenges women face. All my works carry a message about women’s perseverance, hope, and ambition.”