’Forbidden’ treasury opens door to public
Feast of art from Jackson Pollock to Parviz Tanavoli
By Saeideh
Ehsani Rad
Staff writer
The treasure trove of Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the most important and unique collections of visual arts in Iran and the world. This treasure trove is not just a collection of art, but a historical-artistic collection that showcases masterpieces from artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mondrian, Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Francis Bacon, Renoir, Lautrec, Gauguin, Max Ernst, Rene Magritte, Dubuffet, Alberto Giacometti, and Henry Moore, among others, and displays the artistic developments of the 20th century.
Visiting this place is usually off-limits to the public, as the most valuable and expensive works of art are typically kept in the treasure trove and require special security and preservation measures. However, on special occasions and specialized exhibitions, some of the treasure trove’s works are displayed in the museum’s galleries.
A few weeks ago, the doors of this collection were opened to journalists, allowing them to visit the most valuable art collections in Iran and the world. The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is among the top 10 museums in the world in terms of preserving works of art in various styles, including works created between 1850 and 1976. Most of these works were purchased in the 1950s, and some were donated.
Treasure trove renovation
Head of public relations of Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art Hassan Noferesti, talked about the renovation of the treasure trove: “The renovation took place from 2018 to 2020, during which the treasure trove’s air conditioning system was completely separated from the administrative and exhibition sections. The treasure trove now has independent air conditioning and emergency power. Previously, this place had three shared air conditioning units with the galleries, which are now separate.”
Noferesti mentioned the number of works in the treasure trove, saying, “About 1,700 works from the treasure trove are by European and American artists. With the recent donation of works by Dr. Naseri’s family and Manijeh Mir Emadi, valued at around $2.5 to $3.3 million, the treasure trove now has around 4,000 works by Iranian and international artists.” He added that some of the donated works will be transferred to cities with contemporary art museums or suitable locations for preservation and display, with some already sent to Kerman and others in the process of being evaluated.
International standards
The Contemporary Art Museum of Tehran is one of the most important museums in West Asia and among the top 10 museums in the world in terms of its collection of iconic works in various styles, according to its director.
Despite being in a country with less advanced facilities compared to others, the museum’s preservation standards are on par with other international museums.
The director added that over the years, no damage or theft has occurred to the museum’s collection. All exhibition staff and services personnel have undergone training in art preservation, exhibition design, and standard packaging of artworks, so that only authorized staff are allowed to handle and move artworks during exhibitions.
The director emphasized that nowhere in the world are ordinary people allowed to visit museum collections, only researchers are permitted to enter. Due to the importance of preserving the health and security of the artworks, the museum has strict visitation policies, including limited group sizes, to prevent damage from excessive foot traffic. In 2002, the museum held an exhibition of foreign artworks from its collection, attracting many tourists who had not seen these works in years.
To address concerns about visiting the museum’s collection, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art has also taken steps to provide online and virtual tours of its artworks, as well as those on display in galleries, allowing those who cannot physically visit the museum to still experience its collection.
Process of collecting
treasures
On the process of collecting the museum’s treasured artworks, he said that the works stored in the museum’s collection were largely gathered and selected in the 1970s and are not only significant artistically but also historically. A team of experts carefully curated and purchased the best works from renowned contemporary artists, including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Francis Bacon. Documents show that some works were rejected by the team and not included in the collection. The museum’s collection is stored and maintained on metal rails according to international standards, with information about each work displayed on the rails.
Artworks on metal rails
The director explained the arrangement of the artworks on the rails: “The foreign artworks are displayed in chronological order, from the beginning of modern art to pop art. For example, we have over 15 works by Picasso, and the foreign section spans from 1850 to 1976.” The Iranian section of the collection features works by notable artists such as Kamal-ol-Molk, Mahmoud Farshchian, Mohammad Ehsai, Farah Osoli, Sohrab Sepehri, Sadeq Tabrizi, Parviz Tanavoli, Abolqassem Saidi, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Masoud Arabshahi, Mansour Qandriz, Parviz Kalantari, Hossein Kazemi, and Nasrollah Afjei. The museum has the largest collection of works by Seyyed Mohammad Habib Mohammadi, with over 80 pieces, and over 50 works by Hossein Zenderoudi.
The director added that the museum’s collection includes a wide range of visual arts, including painting, graphic arts, miniature painting, calligraphy, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and installations, by prominent Iranian and international artists. One of the most valuable works in the collection is a piece by Jackson Pollock, created in 1950, which was loaned to a Japanese exhibition in 2012 and returned to Iran after the exhibition.
The director added that the museum’s collection includes a wide range of visual arts, including painting, graphic arts, miniature painting, calligraphy, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and installations, by prominent Iranian and international artists. One of the most valuable works in the collection is a piece by Jackson Pollock, created in 1950, which was loaned to a Japanese exhibition in 2012 and returned to Iran after the exhibition.
Lending treasures to
other parts of world
Noferesti also mentioned the museum’s practice of lending artworks to international exhibitions. He cited the example of the ‘All Eyes on Kees van Dongen’ exhibition, a retrospective of the renowned Dutch artist’s works, held at the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 2019. The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art loaned one of Van Dongen’s works to the exhibition for four months. In 1994, the museum exchanged a non-exhibitable work by Willem de Kooning for 118 pages of ‘Shahnameh’ manuscript with its original cover. A selection of works from this ‘Shahnameh’ was later displayed in the ‘Masterpieces of Persian Painting’ exhibition.
Museum’s permanent
collection
Noferesti also highlighted the museum’s preservation of several foreign sculptures in its sculpture garden. He explained that, according to the museum’s definition of a “permanent collection,” the beautiful and rare sculptures in the sculpture garden, which have captured the attention of visitors and fans of sculpture, are part of the museum’s permanent collection. The sculpture garden features works by renowned artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, Max Ernst, Rene Magritte, Eduardo Chillida, Alexander Calder, Marino Marini, Parviz Tanavoli, Dariush Saniezadeh, and others.