Latest news with #TehranMuseumofContemporaryArt
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Picasso masterpieces go on display for the first time in Iran after decades hidden away in a vault
TEHRAN, Iran — They've been hidden away in a vault for over three decades, but last week, more than two dozen masterpieces by Pablo Picasso were unveiled to the public for the first time in Iran. Spanning different periods of the Spanish painter and sculptor's life, the new exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) comprises 26 iconic works including 'Portrait of a Man,' 'Cry of War' and 'Echo of Sorrow.' 'The Painter and His Model,' Picasso's 1927 work and the largest canvas from his post-cubism period, is also on display, along with 53 other paintings. Twelve of the 26 aquatint prints from 'La Tauromaquia,' a rare portfolio he produced in 1957, showcase his deep fascination with bullfighting culture in Spain. They are part of a remarkable modern art collection of nearly 4,000 works held by the museum in Iran's capital, most of which have remained out of the public eye since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. 'The themes of our exhibitions often depend on showcasing part of our collection, and currently we are focusing on works by Picasso, a name that doesn't need an introduction,' Hassan Nouferasti, TMoCA's public relations director, told NBC News on Wednesday. Alongside Picasso, the museum displays other works, including paintings by prominent American artists such as Alexander Calder, Nouferasti said. 'It can't be better than this,' said Parisa Hosseini, a 33-year-old painter and musician who visited the exhibition after it opened to the public on Wednesday. At an event Tuesday evening, Nadereh Rezai, Iran's deputy culture minister for artistic affairs, was quoted by the state-controlled Tehran Times newspaper as saying, 'artists like Picasso, with their unique styles, revolutionized global art.' 'Contemporary art in Iran also holds a significant place, deeply influencing our culture and artistic identity,' she added. Inaugurated in 1977 by Farah Pahlavi, Iran's former queen, the museum was a 'pioneer in the region' in collecting modern and contemporary art from Europe and America, according to Sussan Babaie, a professor of Islamic and Iranian arts at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. 'That collection was enormously important in bringing attention to the then-vibrant art scene in Tehran,' she told NBC News in an email Thursday. The museum's collection included paintings, prints, drawings, photographs and sculptures by the likes of van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Degas and Dali, housed 'in a purpose-built modernist structure,' she added. But after the monarchy was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini became the country's supreme leader, many of TMoCA's works were locked away as clerics deemed them inappropriate, citing nudity and other sensitive themes. The museum has slowly reclaimed its place in Iran's cultural life, and in 2012, it put on a first-of-its-kind show featuring works by pop artists Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein, among others. Last year, TMoCA put on the highly successful 'Eye to Eye' exhibition, extended twice due to public demand, where it showcased long-hidden works by Western artists from its collection, which was valued at somewhere between $3 billion to $4 billion in 2021 by the museum's architect and former director, Kamran Diba. Citing a single Jackson Pollock piece that is estimated to be worth around $600 million to $700 million, Nouferasti, TMoCA's public relations director, said it was 'difficult to put a price on it.' 'The significance of this collection goes beyond numbers,' he added. For Americans, the new Picasso exhibition will remain out of reach. In addition to long-standing restrictions, the State Department issued a travel advisory in August warning citizens not to travel to Iran due to political unrest in the region. But in Iran, where there are strict laws regarding women's dress, including the mandatory hijab, and restrictions on music and public gatherings, the exhibition at TMoCA 'offers another perspective on Iranian society and culture, one rarely highlighted outside Iran,' according to Hamid Keshmirshekan, an art historian at London's SOAS University. He said it exhibited 'the energy and vibrancy of the country's contemporary cultural scene,' while underlining 'the younger generation's determination to participate in global cultural dialogues, despite the significant challenges they face culturally, intellectually and economically.' Amin Khodadadi reported from Tehran, and Astha Rajvanshi from London. This article was originally published on
NBC News
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Picasso masterpieces go on display for the first time in Iran after decades hidden away in a vault
TEHRAN, Iran — They've been hidden away in a vault for over three decades, but last week, more than two dozen masterpieces by Pablo Picasso were unveiled to the public for the first time in Iran. Spanning different periods of the Spanish painter and sculptor's life, the new exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) comprises 26 iconic works including 'Portrait of a Man,' 'Cry of War' and 'Echo of Sorrow.' 'The Painter and His Model,' Picasso's 1927 work and the largest canvas from his post-cubism period, is also on display, along with 53 other paintings. Twelve of the 26 aquatint prints from 'La Tauromaquia,' a rare portfolio he produced in 1957, showcase his deep fascination with bullfighting culture in Spain. They are part of a remarkable modern art collection of nearly 4,000 works held by the museum in Iran's capital, most of which have remained out of the public eye since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. 'The themes of our exhibitions often depend on showcasing part of our collection, and currently we are focusing on works by Picasso, a name that doesn't need an introduction,' Hassan Nouferasti, TMoCA's public relations director, told NBC News on Wednesday. Alongside Picasso, the museum displays other works, including paintings by prominent American artists such as Alexander Calder, Nouferasti said. 'It can't be better than this,' said Parisa Hosseini, a 33-year-old painter and musician who visited the exhibition after it opened to the public on Wednesday. At an event Tuesday evening, Nadereh Rezai, Iran's deputy culture minister for artistic affairs, was quoted by the state-controlled Tehran Times newspaper as saying, 'artists like Picasso, with their unique styles, revolutionized global art.' 'Contemporary art in Iran also holds a significant place, deeply influencing our culture and artistic identity,' she added.
NBC News
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Picasso exhibition unveiled in Iran after spending decades locked away
After being locked in a vault for over three decades, more than two dozen masterpieces by Pablo Picasso have been unveiled to the public for the first time in Iran. After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, many of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art's remarkable collection were locked away out of the public eye.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A glimpse at Picasso and Pollock masterpieces kept in Tehran vault
It has been dubbed one of the world's rarest treasure troves of art but few people outside its host country know about it. For decades, masterpieces by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock have been kept in the basement of a museum in Iran's capital Tehran, shrouded in mystery. According to estimates in 2018, the collection is worth as much as $3bn. Only a small portion of the work has been exhibited since the 1979 Iranian Revolution but in recent years, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art has been showcasing some of its most captivating pieces. The Eye to Eye exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened in October 2024, was extended twice due to overwhelming public demand, running until January 2025. The display was widely regarded as one of the most significant exhibitions in the history of the museum, and it also became its most visited. The showcase featured more than 15 works unveiled for the first time, including a sculpture by Jean Dubuffet - marking its first-ever appearance in an Iranian exhibition. From abstract expressionism to pop art, the collection at the museum serves as a time capsule of pivotal artistic movements. Among the artwork is Warhol's portrait of Farah Pahlavi - Iran's last queen - a rare piece blending his pop art flair with Iranian cultural history. Elsewhere, Francis Bacon's work called Two Figures Lying on a Bed with Attendants shows figures appearing to spy on two naked men lying on a bed. On the opposite wall in the basement of the museum, a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is on display in juxtaposition. The museum was built in 1977 under the patronage of Pahlavi, the exiled widow of the last Shah of Iran who was overthrown during the revolution. Pahlavi was a passionate art advocate and her cousin, architect Kamran Diba, designed the museum. It was established to introduce modern art to Iranians and to bridge Iran closer to the international art scene. The museum soon became home to a stunning array of works by luminaries including Picasso, Warhol and Salvador Dali, alongside pieces by leading Iranian modernists, and quickly established itself as a beacon of cultural exchange and artistic ambition. But then came the 1979 revolution. Iran became an Islamic republic as the monarchy was overthrown and clerics assumed political control under Ayatollah Khomeini. Many artworks were deemed inappropriate for public display because of nudity, religious sensitivities or political implications. Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Gabrielle with Open Blouse was deemed too scandalous. And Warhol's portrait of the former queen of Iran was too political. In fact, Pahlavi's portrait was vandalised and torn apart with a knife during the revolutionary turmoil. After the revolution, many of the artworks were locked away, collecting dust in a basement that became the stuff of art world legend. It was only in the late 1990s that the museum reclaimed its cultural significance during the reformist presidency of Mohammad Khatami. Suddenly the world remembered what it had been missing. Art lovers could not believe their eyes. Van Gogh, Dali, even Monet - all in Tehran. Some pieces were loaned to major exhibitions in Europe and the United States, briefly reconnecting the collection with the global art world. Hamid Keshmirshekan, an art historian based in London, has studied the collection and calls it "one of the rarest treasure troves of modern art outside the West". The collection includes Henry's Moore's Reclining Figure series - an iconic piece by one of Britain's most celebrated sculptors - and Jackson Pollock's Mural on Indian Red Ground, a vibrant example of the American's painting technique pulsing with energy and emotion. Picasso's The Painter and His Model - his largest canvas from 1927 - also features, a strong example of his abstract works from the post-cubism period. And there is Van Gogh's At Eternity's Gate - one of the very rare survivals of his first printmaking campaign during which he produced six lithographs in November 1882. But for art lovers in Britain, the collection is out of reach. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Iran and says British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention. Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for detention by the Iranian authorities, it says. Challenges remain for the museum which operates under a tight budget. Shifting political priorities mean that it often functions more as a cultural hub than a traditional museum. Yet it continues to be a remarkable institution - an unlikely guardian of modern art masterpieces in the heart of Tehran.
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The treasure trove of art worth billions 'hidden' in Tehran
It has been dubbed one of the world's rarest treasure troves of art but few people outside its host country know about decades, masterpieces by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock have been kept in the basement of a museum in Iran's capital Tehran, shrouded in to estimates in 2018, the collection is worth as much as $ a small portion of the work has been exhibited since the 1979 Iranian Revolution but in recent years, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art has been showcasing some of its most captivating pieces. The Eye to Eye exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened in October 2024, was extended twice due to overwhelming public demand, running until January 2025. The display was widely regarded as one of the most significant exhibitions in the history of the museum, and it also became its most visited. The showcase featured more than 15 works unveiled for the first time, including a sculpture by Jean Dubuffet - marking its first-ever appearance in an Iranian exhibition. From abstract expressionism to pop art, the collection at the museum serves as a time capsule of pivotal artistic the artwork is Warhol's portrait of Farah Pahlavi - Iran's last queen - a rare piece blending his pop art flair with Iranian cultural Francis Bacon's work called Two Figures Lying on a Bed with Attendants shows figures appearing to spy on two naked men lying on a the opposite wall in the basement of the museum, a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is on display in juxtaposition. The museum was built in 1977 under the patronage of Pahlavi, the exiled widow of the last Shah of Iran who was overthrown during the was a passionate art advocate and her cousin, architect Kamran Diba, designed the was established to introduce modern art to Iranians and to bridge Iran closer to the international art scene. The museum soon became home to a stunning array of works by luminaries including Picasso, Warhol and Salvador Dali, alongside pieces by leading Iranian modernists, and quickly established itself as a beacon of cultural exchange and artistic then came the 1979 revolution. Iran became an Islamic republic as the monarchy was overthrown and clerics assumed political control under Ayatollah Khomeini. Many artworks were deemed inappropriate for public display because of nudity, religious sensitivities or political implications. Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Gabrielle with Open Blouse was deemed too scandalous. And Warhol's portrait of the former queen of Iran was too political. In fact, Pahlavi's portrait was vandalised and torn apart with a knife during the revolutionary the revolution, many of the artworks were locked away, collecting dust in a basement that became the stuff of art world legend. It was only in the late 1990s that the museum reclaimed its cultural significance during the reformist presidency of Mohammad the world remembered what it had been missing. Art lovers could not believe their eyes. Van Gogh, Dali, even Monet - all in pieces were loaned to major exhibitions in Europe and the United States, briefly reconnecting the collection with the global art Keshmirshekan, an art historian based in London, has studied the collection and calls it "one of the rarest treasure troves of modern art outside the West". The collection includes Henry's Moore's Reclining Figure series - an iconic piece by one of Britain's most celebrated sculptors - and Jackson Pollock's Mural on Indian Red Ground, a vibrant example of the American's painting technique pulsing with energy and The Painter and His Model - his largest canvas from 1927 - also features, a strong example of his abstract works from the post-cubism there is Van Gogh's At Eternity's Gate - one of the very rare survivals of his first printmaking campaign during which he produced six lithographs in November 1882. But for art lovers in Britain, the collection is out of reach. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Iran and says British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention. Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for detention by the Iranian authorities, it remain for the museum which operates under a tight budget. Shifting political priorities mean that it often functions more as a cultural hub than a traditional it continues to be a remarkable institution - an unlikely guardian of modern art masterpieces in the heart of Tehran.
