AIAP/IAA INDIA is an official wing of IAA World, NGO in official partnership with UNESCO working towards preserving our countries cultural heritage through this medium of Art. World Art Day is an international celebration of the fine arts, which was declared by the International Association of Art (AIAP/IAA), a partner of UNESCO, to promote awareness of creative activity worldwide. The first World Art Day was held on April 15th, 2012, a date chosen in honor of Leonardo Da Vinci’s birthday. As a symbol of world peace, freedom of expression, tolerance, and brotherhood, Da Vinci is also a testament to the influence of the Fine Arts on other fields.
Message from Mr Khaled El-Enany,
Director-General of UNESCO,
on the occasion of World Art Day
15 April 2026
In these times of division and uncertainty, art remains one of the spaces where people express themselves and humanity continues to find a sense of belonging. On this World Art Day, it is important to remember that creating is a right and protecting that right is a collective responsibility.
At its core, UNESCO is a home of art, culture and heritage. Its headquarters in Paris are a living testament to this, with a permanent collection featuring art works from around the world – including Caroline Monnet’s Debouttes !, a powerful piece exploring the memories of indigenous women. The exhibition “Women’s Memories”, which opened last month, brings light to stories that have long been overlooked.
However, UNESCO does more than preserve art; it also champions it. The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions affirms the right of every individual to create, disseminate and hence be recognized. This is the context for the global report “Rethinking Policies for Creativity”, launched this year: a candid assessment of global cultural ecosystems, which outline concrete steps towards policies that are fairer, more inclusive, and that are better suited to the realities creators face today, particularly in the era of artificial intelligence.
These commitments are also being translated into action. The UNESCO-Aschberg program is an essential instrument to this. Between 2022 and 2025, it supported artists and cultural professionals from more than 45 countries in improving their working conditions, safeguarding artistic freedom, and including responding to emergencies – in countries such as Afghanistan, Lebanon, State of Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen.
One of the global priorities of the Organization, gender equality in the cultural and creative sectors occupies a central importance. Women now lead 46% of national cultural institutions, an increase from 31% in 2017 – a real step forward, though one that is still fragile and unequal. To accelerate this momentum, in 2025 the UNESCO-Tamayouz Cinema Foundation Residency programme held in Morocco provided 10 young African female filmmakers with the mobility opportunities and resources to write, direct, and produce their own short films – a Pan-African anthology of women’s cinema, screened at UNESCO headquarters last February.
On this World Art Day, UNESCO pays tribute to all those who create, inspire, resist, and pass on their arts – and reaffirms its commitment to stand by their side.
Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay
Former Director-General of UNESCO,
on the occasion of World Art Day
15 April 2022
Just as man needs oxygen to survive, he also needs art and poetry. These words by Aimé Césaire reminds us how vital art and culture are to humanity, and how they underpin our unity and resilience.
This World Art Day is a timely reminder that art can unite and connect us even in the most difficult of circumstances. Indeed, the power of art to bring people together, to inspire, heal and share, has become increasingly clear during recent conflicts and crises, including COVID-19.
Yet according to the UNESCO Global Report “RelShaping Policies for Creativity: Addressing culture as a global public good”, published in February 2022, some 100 million jobs were lost in the cuitural and creative sector globally in 2020.
Indeed, in a sector where employment is often informal and unstable, and in the absence of an appropriate social safety net, artists and culture professionals too often find themselves vulnerable in the face of the loss of income brought on by crises and conflicts. This shows us just how much we need to accord artists appropriate status, as urged by UNESC0’s 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist, in order to bolster respect for their rights and boost the resilience of arts and Culture. The challenge of keeping art alive, now and in the future, is therefore twofold: we must support culture professionals and cultural institutions, and promote access to art for all.
In order to better identify priority needs, we must listen to the voices of the art world in all their diversity. This is the aim of UNESCO’s Resiliart movement, which was launched to affirm the resilience of art in this period and prepare for the future. To date thousands of artists and professionals have participated in more than 300 debates around the world.
The challenges we face today can only be met through far-reaching cultural policies aimed at helping creative communities overcome this crisis and protecting and improving the status of artists. The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development MONDIACULT 2022 will bring together the world’s culture ministers 40 years after the first MONDIACULT in 1980. it will ensure that the voices of artists and civil society are fully heard as countries set the agenda for culture tor the years to come.
Dear Colleagues,
Warm greetings from the new World President Kwang Soo Lee of the Korean National Committee to all the IAA / AIAP Executive and National Committee members through out the world.
From the bottom of my heart, I Thank you all for having faith in me and appointing me to this meaningful job.
Today, I would like to celebrate with you all ‘the 2023 World Art Day, and I send you a great appreciation for all your support for this day to become a wonderful day for every single artist all around the world!
Do believe that I am extremely concerned about ALAP/IAA and that I will put all ay efforts in supplementing future—oriented projects for a continued growth and prosperity. Of course, I will keep you informed when those projects are ready.
I will sincerely do everything I can and all my best to see AIAP/IAA take further steps out to the world.
Best wishes to you all, and Happy World Art Day!
The establishment of the International Association of Art (IAA / AIAP) dates back to an initiative launched in 1948 by the Third General Conference of UNESCO in Beirut to set up a permanent forum of international visual artists to support UNESCO goals. The sixth UNESCO conference in 1951 commissioned its Secretary-General to convene an international congress of artists, which was finally held in Venice in 1952.
The 23 national governments represented there, and 48 artistic associations from 19 countries agreed on the goal of founding an international umbrella organization for sculptors, painters, and engravers. Chaired by Italian painter Gino Severinia Transitional Council has been set up and a secretariat in Paris. Finally, in 1954, the founding assembly of the IAA / AIAP was held in Venice, attended by already formed national committees from 18 countries as full members, as well as observers from another 22 countries.
Since then, membership has grown to over 90 National Committees worldwide, divided into five world regions. Since its foundation, the IAA / AIAP has had the official status of an advisory organization of UNESCO.
It is our pleasure to announce to you before this new year of 2019. Now India is a member of AIAP/IAA World, and we congratulate Mr. Manaj Saha and your board for joining our international association.
Mizoram CM inaugurates UNESCO’s World Art Day in Aizawl
Aizawl, Apr 15 (PTI) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhomainaugurated the World Art Day programme in Aizawl on Tuesday.
The event was organised jointly by the Mizoram government and the International Association of Art (IAA) India.
Speaking on the occasion, Lalduhoma, who is also the chief patron of the IAA Mizoram, highlighted the deep interconnection between art and culture.
He said that art serves as a powerful expression of identity, heritage, and community values.
“Before we had writing systems, we told our stories through drawings. Among the Mizos too, art has long been used to reflect our thoughts, beliefs, and traditions,” he said. He lauded UNESCO’s recognition of art as a tool for peace, healing, and education, noting that Mizoram’s unique culture and beauty must be documented and promoted through visual art.
“Our artists – filmmakers, writers, photographers, and performers – are ambassadors of our heritage,” he said.
The chief minister emphasised that art transcends boundaries of language, religion, and ethnicity.
“Art enables us to communicate universally. It is not just about expression – it is about preserving and honoring who we are,” he said.
Art and Culture Minister C. Lalsawivunga, Information and Public Relations Minister Vanlalthlana and IAA President Manaj Saha, among others attended the event.
Have you ever doodled in a piece of paper when you have nothing to do…Then come join us in exploring the artist in you… Art has always been in our blood but due to career goals or lack of support we falter over discovering this area of interest. Here is an opportunity for every individual to be involved in festive mood, in celebrating W.A.D. I welcome you all to take part in this one of a kind event, a celebration of thoughts and philosophies in colourful artworks. From 2020 the Birthday of Leonardo Da Vinci will be celebrated as World Art Day in the whole world. On behalf of IAA India, on the occasion of world art day (declared by UNESCO on their 206TH Board Meeting session in Paris), through various events of exhibition, contest, and programme, we would like to mark this day as a memorable one in the pages of history. We call to the youth of India, our fellow students to take part in this event and spread respect, love and awareness in visual art, in every corner of our country. Let us convey through this World Art Day, a message of unity, love and hope.
Now it’s the real time for art!
World Art Day, for a healthy dialogue between world cultures all over the planet.
Thanks for your participation solidarity and efforts.
Dear all, I am glad to share you that World Art Day has been recognised by UNESCO as an international day on Leonardo Da Vinci ‘s Birth Anniversary, and we are all ready to welcome this decision by celebrating through various art exhibitions and programme. Being an Artist, I am really happy that this Platform will give birth to new artists and youthful thoughts. The management of IAA India is committed in its endeavour to provide the assistance needed in making this day eventful and create opportunities for young artists by presenting their works to the rest of the World.
I am sure that your decision to join us, will find the experience both enjoyable and rewarding. So let’s begin , colours, canvas and a frame full of creativity and thoughts.
Dear all, I am glad to share you that World Art Day has been recognised by UNESCO as an international day on Leonardo Da Vinci ‘s Birth Anniversary, and we are all ready to welcome this decision by celebrating through various art exhibitions and programme. Being an Artist, I am really happy that this Platform will give birth to new artists and youthful thoughts. The management of IAA India is committed in its endeavour to provide the assistance needed in making this day eventful and create opportunities for young artists by presenting their works to the rest of the World.
I am sure that your decision to join us, will find the experience both enjoyable and rewarding. So let’s begin , colours, canvas and a frame full of creativity and thoughts.
The origins of IAA/AIAP (International Association of Art, in English) can be traced to the Third General Conference of UNESCO, held at Beiruth, Libanon, in 1948. The Director – General was charged with enquiring into ‘ways in which artists might serve the aims of UNESCO’, and to discover what obstacles of a social, economic, or political order lay in the path of artists in the practice of their art. He was charged, too, with recommending measures by which artists working conditions could be improved and their freedom assured.
The UNESCO Conference, at its sixth Session, in 1951, empowered the Director-General to organize an International Conference of artists to study the actual conditions of artists’ freedom in various countries and to enquire into the means to associate them more closely with UNESCO’s work. Accordingly, in 1952, at a conference of artists held in Venice, 23 governments and 48 associations of artists in 19 countries, declared themselves in favour of the formation of an international association of painters, sculptors and engravers. A provisional council was formed under the chairmanship of Gino Severini (Italy), and a secretariat was opened in UNESCO House in Paris.
In 1954, in Venice, the General Assembly of the fully constituted Association was summoned for the first time and declared the basic aims of IAA/AIAP. At this first Assembly, 18 countries (with National Committees already formed) took part, with observers from another 22 countries. Artists like Miro, Braque, Delaunay, Pasmore, Hartung, Laurencin, Matta, Lurçat, Masson, Vasarely, Moore, Soto, Cesar, Calder, and many others left their print at IAA/AIAP.
Since its creation, UNESCO gave to IAA/AIAP the status of UNESCO partnership NGO with the status of consultative Association.
For the Statutes of the International Association of Art, as adopted at the 17th General Assembly in Guadalajara, Mexico, 2011, you might click here [PDF].
To practice art, make your soul grow…
Some of our Indian Art Collections
