Inauguration of the International Exhibition of Art and the In-Between Space, Iran-Japan (Journey on the Silk Road)


The School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, is organizing the International Exhibition of Art and the In-Between Space, Iran-Japan (Journey on the Silk Road) from January 7 to February 7, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, at the Negarestan Garden Museum of the University of Tehran. The scientific and executive secretary of this event is Dr. Elham Andaroodi, Associate Professor and faculty member of the School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, while the exhibition's president is Dr. Seyed Yahya Eslami, Assistant Professor and faculty member of the same school. The organizers include Professor Riichi Miyake (Archi-Depot Corporation), Engineer Arash Sohrabi, and Engineer Samad Dehghan (Iranian Seismic Institute). This program is supported by the Japanese Embassy in Iran and various Japanese and Iranian associations, organizations, and companies, including the International Consultant of the College of Fine Arts, the Iranian Architectural Studies Scientific Association, the Conservation Scientific Association, and the Architecture Scientific Association.

The Inauguration of this exhibition was held on January 9, 2025, at the Roohe Al-Amin Hall of the Negarestan Garden Museum. The event began with Dr. Montazer Zohouri, the University of Tehran’s Advisor for Museums and Cultural Spaces, welcoming the guests and emphasizing the expansion of exhibition activities and inter-museum collaborations between the University of Tehran and other countries.

Dr. Seyed Yahya Eslami, representing the School of Architecture, extended his greetings, highlighting over half a decade of scientific collaboration between Iran and Japan on concepts related to space, threshold, and in-between architecture. He described the exhibition as a milestone for programs related to Japanese art and architecture at the School of Architecture. He also credited the exhibition as a result of various academic events, including the Art and the Fourth Dimension Symposium (2018) and two Art and the In-Between Space Symposiums (2022–2024).

The keynote speaker, Dr. Seyed Hossein Hosseini, interim president of the University of Tehran, linked the history of Iran-Japan relations to the ancient Silk Road and highlighted Iran's role in advancing higher education over 1,757 years, from the establishment of Jundishapur University to the founding of the University of Tehran 90 years ago. He emphasized the significance of the Negarestan Garden Museum as part of the University of Tehran's cultural spaces and the pivotal role of the College of Fine Arts and the School of Architecture in elevating Iran’s cultural and artistic presence internationally through comparative studies.

Dr. Elham Aminzadeh, Vice President of International Relations at the University of Tehran, elaborated on the scientific history between Iran and Japan and various activities carried out by departments related to Japanese studies at the university, underlining the need for mutual support in academic and research collaborations.

The honorary speaker, Mr. Tamaki Tsukada, the Japanese Ambassador to Iran, expressed his gratitude to the University of Tehran and the exhibition organizers. He referred to the 40-year history of the "Space and Time In-Between" exhibition and expressed delight that hosting this exhibition at the University of Tehran would significantly enhance academic and cultural ties between Iran and Japan through education, student and faculty exchanges, collaborative research planning, and the exchange of scholarly resources. Dr. Drago Štambuk, the esteemed Ambassador of Croatia to Iran, also emphasized the extension of the Silk Road into Europe and the cultural exchange along its route.

The thematic speeches began with Professor Riichi Miyake, who discussed over five years of scientific and cultural exchanges between the School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, and faculty members from various Japanese universities, such as Tama University, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokohama University, and others. He described the exhibition as the product of joint and intensive efforts by planning teams from Tehran, Tabriz, and Japan. He also expressed his satisfaction with the symposium and the exhibition "Art and the In-Between Space" and their role in deepening cultural exchanges between the two nations.

Dr. Elham Andaroodi, Associate Professor at the School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, introduced the exhibition organizers, planners, sponsors, and supporters during her speech. She described the exhibition as showcasing the works of leading global architects and artists, which has been unprecedented in recent decades. She further elaborated on the installations of the exhibition, noting that they draw inspiration from Japanese history and culture, which bear significant similarities to the deep historical and literary concepts of Iranian art and architecture. Themes such as "Paradise," "Light" or "Radiance," "Road," "Bridge," "Home," "Elegance in Simplicity," "Japanese Teahouse," and "Knot or Bond" were presented as installations in the gallery space of the Negarestan Garden Museum. She thanked the executive team of the Disaster Risk Reduction Holding and the exhibition's team in Tabriz (to be held in March 2025), especially Engineers Arash Sohrabi, Samad Dehghan, and Saeed Binazir, as well as the student groups from the Architectural Studies Scientific Association, Conservation, and Architecture of the College of Fine Arts for their efforts. At the end, Engineer Arash Sohrabi, the organizer of the exhibition from the Risk Reduction Group Holding, emphasized the cultural significance of the concept of "space in-between" in Iran and Japan and the necessity of strengthening intercultural activities between the two countries.

The opening concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a visit to the installations showcased in the exhibition space. The highlight of the visit was a line of over 300 arranged vases, symbolizing the Silk Road, created by Pritzker Prize 2010 winner, Mr. Ryue Nishizawa, displayed in the garden space and even within the garden’s pond, representing the concept of "emptiness" in Iranian and Japanese culture.