‘Picasso in Tehran’ draws over 120,000 visitors in Tehran
The ‘Picasso in Tehran’ at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened on March 11, marked the first time the museum presented all of its Picasso-related works from its own collection, according to head of the museum Reza Dabirinejad. A total of 67 works were shown. Few knew the museum held this many Picasso pieces, and the reveal sparked widespread attention both in Iran and internationally. The scale of the collection, paintings, sculptures, artist’s books, prints, and other pieces, reaffirmed the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art’s standing among the world’s top modern art institutions.
The long gap since the last public viewing of the collection—and the generational shift—made this exhibition particularly compelling for younger audiences who had rarely had the chance to experience these works. With a growing awareness of global art, these visitors came eager to engage directly with masterpieces. For them, the museum offered a rare and powerful encounter.
This was one reason for the unprecedented turnout: Over 120,000 people visited the exhibition during its two-and-a-half-month run. The crowd wasn’t limited to younger generations; artists, scholars, and art enthusiasts of all ages also turned out in impressive numbers.
Seventeen countries sent diplomats to the opening and to various points throughout the exhibition—an opportunity to showcase Iran’s cultural and museological capacities. Several embassies even organized special tours for their diplomats and staff. Global media picked up the story, and the event laid the groundwork for potential future inter-museum collaborations.
The exhibition also featured educational programming: A series of Cinémathèque events screening Picasso-related films, and five expert panels that offered critical analysis and discussion. These efforts turned the exhibit into more than just a visual experience; it became a platform for content creation, dialogue, and knowledge sharing.
The exhibit was designed with a strong curatorial narrative. Each gallery focused on a specific theme: One on Picasso’s early life, one on Cubism, one on war-era works like ‘Guernica’ and ‘The Weeping Woman’, and others on single-piece interpretations with explanatory texts to deepen viewer understanding.
To offer historical context, select works by Picasso’s contemporaries—global modernist masters—were also shown. The final gallery gave the exhibition a local dimension, featuring Iranian artists influenced by Picasso, drawing a cultural link between the works and their audience in Tehran.
Multimedia elements, including specially produced films and motion graphics, enriched the storytelling. These helped bring a contemporary sensibility to the museum experience. Visitors engaged with the exhibition on multiple levels—reading, watching, observing. Many waited in long lines to absorb the narratives, sat in the museum to watch films, or explored the exhibit’s layered content at their own pace.
There was even an interactive section where visitors could rearrange elements of Picasso’s works to create personalized versions and take them home—a space for creativity and connection.
Among the many side programs were special children’s tours, featuring interactive games and art-making inspired by Picasso’s work. These brought hundreds of kids and teens into the museum, allowing them to turn play into memorable artistic moments. Evening events, art therapy workshops, and other activities aimed to make the museum a space for varied, inclusive experiences—bridging art with contemporary issues and diverse visitor needs.
Just as ‘Guernica’ addressed the trauma of its own era, the exhibition explored how art can soothe, connect, and speak to the complexities of our time.