Iran’s vast collection of Western art, much long hidden, re-emerges despite high tensions with US

Iran’s Tehran (AP) A new exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art features Western artwork, including pieces that haven’t been seen by the public in at least ten years, as Iran deals with growing tensions with the West and unrest at home.

Many ladies, with their hair exposed, have been lured to the museum’s underground galleries in Tehran’s Laleh Park since the opening of the Eye to Eye exhibition. Even while Iran’s theocracy continues to advance by refining uranium to near-weapons grade levels and attacking Israel throughout the continuing Mideast wars, their presence—despite the fact that authorities have not acknowledged it—demonstrates how life has altered inside the country in only the last few years.

A young woman at the museum named Aida Zarrin stated, “The first thing that came to me, and I told my parents, was I can’t believe I’m seeing these works, which have always been kept far from our eyes.”

It’s sufficient if such gatherings take place here and we are able to view artwork on par with the rest of the globe. They truly are priceless.

In the late 1970s, when oil was booming and Western economies were stagnating, the government of Iran’s Western-backed ruler, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his wife, the former Empress Farah Pahlavi, constructed the museum and purchased the extensive collection. When it first opened, it featured amazing pieces by Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, and other great artists, elevating Iran’s cultural profile internationally.

However, Shiite clerics overthrew the shah in 1979, just two years later, and stored the artwork in the museum’s vault. To avoid violating Islamic principles and giving the idea that they catered to Western tastes, some paintings by cubists, surrealists, impressionists, and even pop artists remained unfinished for decades. An Andy Warhol print of the empress was cut during the revolution, but almost everything is said to still be present.

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The collection’s current value is probably in the billions. Although there have been sporadic trades for Persian historical artifacts in the past, museum authorities have been able to argue for the collection’s preservation despite Iran’s current financial difficulties due to Western sanctions. Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, may impose more sanctions in his future government.

The collection reappears in tandem with the thawing, re-freezing, and thawing of Iranian politics.

Picasso, Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon, and well-known Iranian painters are among the more than 120 pieces on display. Jacqueline Kennedy II, one of the Warhols, is a silkscreen double image of the former first lady of the United States in mourning following her husband, President John F. Kennedy, being assassinated in 1963. The cellphone photographers also took notice of another Warhol portrait of Mick Jagger, the frontman of the Rolling Stones.

According to the exhibition’s director, Jamal Arabzadeh, many of these pieces are significant in the history of art, which is why this show stands apart from others. Many others who are not as familiar with art have learned about the museum for the first time. We may take pride in the fact that a portion of the community is learning about art and the museum and realizing its potential.

The appearance of Western art coincides with Iran’s government’s long-standing opposition to things like Barbie dolls and Simpsons cartoon characters. Previously, these Western influences were seen to be anti-Islamic and part of a cultural assault against the Islamic Republic.

The exhibition, which costs 14 U.S. cents for admission, is a unique government-approved event that has nothing to do with Shiite religion or politics.

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Many of the guests disobeyed the nation’s law requiring them to wear a headscarf, or hijab. Although individual arrests continue to incite ire, crackdowns over the hijab have slowed since Iran’s July presidential election, which saw the inauguration of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Additionally, many people cannot afford the cost of tickets to international museums because of Iran’s sinking rial currency.

Since not everyone can visit museums overseas, this is particularly alluring to art lovers. A woman who only provided her last name, Dolatshahi, remarked, “It’s really exciting to see the works here.” I was unaware that I could view Picasso and van Gogh’s pieces here.

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From Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Gambrell reported.

The Associated Press, 2024. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. It is prohibited to publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this content without authorization.

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