Contemporary Iranian Art From the Permanent Collection June 19, 2012

Seven works by six Iranian artists from three generations comprise the installation 'Contemporary Iranian Art from the Permanent Collection.' Of the six artists - Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Parviz Tanavoli, Y. Z. Kami, Shirin Neshat, Afruz Amighi, and Ali Banisadr - four live and work in the United States, while two continue to work in Iran. Although the works demonstrate the diversity of concepts, styles, techniques, and modes of expression seen in Iranian contemporary art, the artists consider themselves to be members of the global artistic community whose work is primarily intended to convey universal messages. Nonetheless, each work reflects an intrinsic connection with Iran and addresses issues of identity and gender, political and social concerns, nostalgia for and pride in a rich artistic and cultural heritage. All of the works are from the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Iranian contemporary art has been collected since 1993, first by the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art and, since last year, by the Department of Islamic Art as well.