A long line of people waiting to see the works of the anti-war artist has formed, with the number of visitors reaching over 55,000 in just 24 days, according to official statistics released up to April 4. This is an unprecedented and remarkable figure, demonstrating the vibrancy of Iran's art community.
In the span of almost three months, this is the second time that the Museum of Contemporary Art has hosted a painting exhibition that has drawn a large crowd and formed a long line of art enthusiasts, particularly those interested in visual arts. The exhibition, titled "Picasso in Tehran," features a collection of works by the renowned Spanish painter, along with other domestic and international art pieces, and will run from March 11 to May 21 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran. The long line that has formed in front of the museum is reminiscent of the one that was seen in August last year during the "Eye to Eye" exhibition. The same enthusiasm has been repeated for the "Picasso in Tehran" exhibition.
Although it may be hard to believe for many citizens, the cultural and artistic sphere has been enjoying the "privilege" of long lines, overcrowding, and even a black market for tickets for some time now! Perhaps, in the view of many people, the difficult economic situation has left no room for spending on cultural and artistic activities, and nowadays, no one is willing to endure the hardship of waiting in a long line or dealing with the suffocating crowds in a hall or complex just to attend a cultural or artistic event. This is a preconceived notion, but the empirical and objective realities of recent days and weeks suggest otherwise.
Apart from cinema and music, which have always attracted millions of audiences to screening halls in almost any circumstances, relatively niche arts like painting have become so attractive that they can draw a significant crowd and bring people to museums, galleries, and exhibitions. Two recent art events in the field of painting are a testament to this claim, having created a widespread social movement and, according to cultural experts and art economy managers, a remarkably promising and hopeful momentum. Iranian society has, of course, witnessed the prosperity of the art economy in the field of visual arts every year through the "Tehran Auction" event, but these two exhibitions have a stronger and more intense social aspect. While there have been other well-attended art events in the public sphere of culture and art in recent days, there are characteristics that set these two apart from other recent popular art programs.
"Eye to Eye" with a National Treasure
One of the most significant art events in recent years was the unprecedented enthusiasm with which people and art enthusiasts welcomed the "Eye to Eye" exhibition. The level of interest in this exhibition was so high that some news sources claimed that this art event was the most visited exhibition in the history of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Iran since its establishment in 1977. The "Eye to Eye" exhibition showcased over 130 valuable works by Iranian and foreign artists. This art event was designed around the theme of portraiture, and the title "Eye to Eye" was chosen due to the importance of gaze and perspective in portrait works. Reports indicate that the number of visitors to this exhibition reached 2,000 people per day, a truly remarkable and unexpected figure.
The exhibition featured works by great artists such as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, Jean Dubuffet, Kamal-ol-Molk, Aydin Aghdashloo, and Bahman Mohasses. The combination of these artists provided a unique experience for the audience, as various styles, from Expressionism and Surrealism to Pop Art and Realism, were brought together in a single space for the viewers. During the days of the exhibition, there was hardly a passerby who didn't notice the long lines of enthusiastic visitors waiting to see the exhibition on Kargar Northern Street and the edges of Laleh Park. These long lines were so notable and attention-grabbing that videos and images of them were shared on social media and even broadcast on some foreign television networks, attracting a large audience.
Great Painter in the Heart of the Capital
Less than three months after the end of that successful exhibition, from the end of February, the walls of the Museum of Contemporary Art once again showcased the works of a great painter, filling the sidewalks of Kargar Northern Street with enthusiastic art lovers. This time, it was an exhibition of 66 works by Pablo Picasso, the renowned Spanish painter, which drew attention to this art and this museum. The exhibition of unseen works by Pablo Picasso, titled "Picasso in Tehran," began on February 12th and will run until the end of May, focusing on the artistic life and position of this prominent figure in the visual arts and painting, particularly in the Cubist style. The exhibition also features works by Iranian artists such as Bahram Dabiri, Bahman Mohasses, Jalil ZiaPour, Mohsen Vaziri-Moghadam, Mohammad Ali Shivaei(Kako), Garnik Derhakupian, Hani Bal Hasakopian, and Parvaneh Etemadi, as well as works by foreign artists like Georges Braque, Robert Delaunay, Fernand Léger, František Kupka, and Joan Miró, which are related to Picasso's works.
Picasso is one of the most prominent and influential contemporary artists, and one of the most important aspects of his artistic work is his anti-war stance. The scientific advisor to the "Picasso in Tehran" exhibition stated, "Picasso was not only a skilled artist in the field of image-making but also a star in the art world. With a research-oriented approach and the opportunity to showcase Picasso's works, we tried to present the works with a new narrative and perspective." Fuad Najmuddin added, "Picasso's artistic life and his artistic position have been the focus of this exhibition; Picasso has multiple facets, and his social aspect is important to us in these days when war has engulfed the entire world, and his anti-war cry is meaningful to us."
According to the official statistics released, the number of visitors to the "Picasso in Tehran" exhibition reached over 55,000 people by April 4 of this year, within a span of 24 days, which is a remarkable and unprecedented statistic in its own right. This widespread enthusiasm demonstrates the vibrancy of Iran's art community.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, which is a treasure trove of valuable and rich visual art works by Iranian and foreign artists, has been able to stimulate and satisfy the needs and desires of a large number of contemporary art enthusiasts by relying on its unparalleled resources. Perhaps now, after years of keeping their artistic treasures hidden, Iran's art museums have decided to showcase a part of their collection to the public, and they will realize that the works that were locked away in storage can receive such a warm welcome from the audience. Naturally, exhibiting these works will not only reveal the grandeur and value of Iran's art museums, particularly the Museum of Contemporary Art, but will also be highly beneficial in promoting visual literacy and strengthening the artistic taste of Iranians.
In a situation where it seemed that economic hardships had left no room for public attention to arts like painting, the "Eye to Eye" and "Picasso in Tehran" exhibitions showed that art can always find an audience, provided it is managed correctly and presented in an intelligent and artistic manner. Iran's assets are not limited to its mineral and underground resources; its cultural assets can also bring satisfaction and a sense of national pride to its people. For analysts of Iranian affairs who monitor and study social trends from outside the country, the formation of extremely long and unprecedented lines to visit a painting exhibition may seem incomprehensible, but this reality shows that Iranian society, despite all its difficulties and problems, has not neglected culture and has continued to prioritize it in its system of needs and demands.
The experiences of the "Eye to Eye" and "Picasso in Tehran" exhibitions, with the unprecedented enthusiasm they generated, indicate that economic hardships have not been able to eradicate Iranians' passion for art and culture. Culture and art are the best resources for strengthening social capital. Any governing system that can utilize this identity-creating and unity-building resource effectively will be able to emerge victorious in the field known as the "war of identities".
NOURNEWS