TEHRAN, July 11 (Mehr News Agency) -- Iranian earth artist Ahmad Nadalian announced that the 17th Environmental Art Festival focuses on the water crisis and will continue through the end of summer.

The festival runs with the participants' funding and enjoys no governmental support, Nadalian told the Persian service of ISNA, adding that most of the applicants have taken part in previous festivals and are quite familiar with the requirements.

"This time, the event focuses on the water crisis and water pollution. I think environmental art is somehow related to the environment and its crisis highlights the development of this art form in nature. We have also learned to make use of natural elements like water, soil, stone and wood in creating our artwork," he explained.

Nadalian also believes that environmental art cannot be limited to a few days, as artists need more time than a few days to create their art.

He also mentioned that sound plays a significant role in this festival and the methods to make use of sound and rhythm, adding that the artists intend to use natural sounds in their works.

He also noted that he intends to communicate more with international centers and provide the facilities for the national artists to take part in international events.

The 17th Environmental Art Festival runs in Pardis, a center Nadalian established in Polur for the creation and exhibition of art in nature.

The prestigious U.S. art magazine Utne (Understanding the next evolution) named Nadalian as one of the world's top five earth artists in its May-June 2006 edition.