More than 230 international artists from 34 countries and approximately 400 artists from across Pakistan would participate in 13-day long Islamabad Art Festival 2019 to be held from November 18 to November 30 in Federal capital. Representing culture and heritage, IAF-19 will feature performance and visual art from all across the globe. President and Chief Curator IAF-19 Jamal Shah said that IAF-19 aims to bring Pakistan’s and international vibrant young art scene and its innovative and energetic spirit in close contact with artistic activity to explore cross-fertilisation of ideas, concerns, and challenges. “IAF -19 brings for the first time to Islamabad an art and culture extravaganza, with collaboration and support of artists and art institutions from both public and private sectors of Pakistan, as well as many from overseas” he said. Jamal Shah said that Islamabad Art Festival is built upon the foundation of cultural diversity that is so deeply embedded in the land that is now Pakistan and in the people that are now Pakistani. ‘IAF -19 brings for the first time to Islamabad an art and culture extravaganza, with collaboration and support of artists and art institutions from both public and private sectors of Pakistan, as well as many from overseas,’ he said “Art has the unique capability of enabling people to engage intimately with their natural and cultural heritage in a creative and critical manner”, he said. He said that the spirit of creativity and innovation brings people together and strengthens society as a whole. He said that IAF-19 aims to bring artists from Pakistan and across the world together on one multi-disciplinary platform with a global outreach. “At IAF-19, local artists will create, exhibit, and perform right alongside their foreign counterparts and catapult Pakistani art to new heights worldwide” said Jamal Shah. He said that emerging artists will have an opportunity to interact with established and highly-respected artists and exhibit their work together on this collaborative platform. He said that the aim of the festival is to celebrate diversity and creativity in all forms of visual and performing arts. He said that thematic focus of IAF-19 is a “Dialogue between Tradition and Modernity”. This will be explored across cultures and identities in an inclusive way, thinking about both differences and similarities.