Tehran launches MENA’s first paper-based art fair
Iran’s Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry on Friday opened ‘Open Paper,’ the first paper-based art fair in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), at the state-run Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults.
The event, organized by the Art Galleries Association and coordinated by the ministry’s visual arts office, drew senior cultural officials and dozens of exhibitors from across the country, IRNA reported.
Mohammad-Mehdi Ahmadi, the ministry’s acting deputy for artistic affairs, toured the fair and called paper a “powerful” medium that still shapes public taste and keeps the commercial side of visual arts turning. He said the material’s appeal reaches “both the imagination and the market.”
General Director of Visual Arts at the Culture Ministry Aydin Mahdizadeh, noted the fair is designed as a specialist platform.
He said the ministry only offered advisory support, adding that the launch marks the “first step” towards regular art fairs tailored to different media.
More than 40 galleries from Tehran and provincial cities have taken part, joined by Iranian Illustrators Society, the Iranian Graphic Designers Society, and several publishers and studios active in paper-based work. Their stands range from paintings, drawings and handmade prints to photography, illustration, collage, artist books and papier-mâché sculptures.
Curators say the focus on paper blends heritage with pragmatism. Lower production costs and easier transport help artists price their work more competitively, opening the market to a wider pool of buyers at a time when many households are watching their spending. Exhibitors also argue that the lighter ecological footprint of paper pieces puts the fair in line with global sustainability standards.
Alongside sales, Open Paper is staging panel discussions, artist talks and hands-on workshops on topics including the economics of art, paper techniques, archiving and professional development.
Tehran art fair plans to run several themed “episodes” each year, with Open Paper serving as its inaugural edition. Officials hope the model will offer a steady, accessible and transparent structure for Iran’s visual-arts market and lay groundwork for stronger institutions in the sector.
Open Paper runs until December 12.