Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art

Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
+30 More Photos
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, also known as TMoCA, is among the largest art museums in Iran. It has collections of more than 3,000 items that include 19th and 20th century's world-class European...
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
is related to Tehran city (Tehran Province)
Also known as: Contemporary Art Museum in Tehran
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, also known as TMoCA, is among the largest art museums in Iran. It has collections of more than 3,000 items that include 19th and 20th century's world-class European...
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
This museum was inaugurated in the year 1977. It is located in North Kargar Avenue, adjoining the Laleh Park. This three storeyed museum has 9 art galleries displaying the affects of many reputed foreign artists. It includes a library and an audio-visual section. In the statue garden of the museum, a collection of statues and pieces of art works, as well as marvelous creations of contemporary foreign and Iranian sculptures can be observed.

According to Farah Pahlavi, the former Empress of Iran, the idea for this museum happened when she was in conversation with artist Iran Darroudi during a gallery opening in the 1970s and Darroudi mentioned she wished there was a place to show work more permanently. The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art museum was suppose to be a place to show contemporary and modern Iranian artist along side with other international artists doing similar work.
 
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
In a striking concrete modernist building on the western side of Park-e Laleh, this museum's impressive collection boasts works by Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh, Miró, Dalí, Bacon, Pollock, Monet, Munch, Moore and Warhol, among many others.


The museum was designed by Iranian architect and cousin of the queen, Kamran Diba, who employed elements from traditional Persian architecture. It was built adjacent to Laleh Park, Tehran, and was inaugurated in 1977. The building itself can be regarded as an example of contemporary art, in a style of an underground New York Guggenheim Museum. Most of the museum area is located underground with a circular walkway that spirals downwards with galleries branching outwards. Western sculptures by artists such as Ernst, Giacometti, Magritte and Moore can be found in the museum's gardens.

The selection of the art was done under Farah Pahlavi and the budget was from the National Iranian Oil Company. Pahlavi personally met many of the artists who's work was part of the museum collection, including the Western artists; Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Henry Moore, Paul Jenkins, Arnaldo Pomodoro. Some people involved in the process of selecting art included two were Americans, Donna Stein and David Galloway, Kamran Diba, the architect and director of the museum, and Karimpasha Bahadori, who was the chief of staff of the cabinet.

After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Western art was stored away in the museums vault until 1999 when the first post-revolution exhibition was held of western art showing artists such as Hockney, Lichtenstein, Rauschenburg and Andy Warhol. Now pieces of the Western art collection are shown for a few weeks every year but due to the current conservative nature of the Iranian establishment, most pieces will never be shown.
 
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
The Museum was designed by one of the famous Iranian architects known as Kamran Diba. He was inspired by the traditional Persian architecture, philosophical concepts, and modern elements. While, the exterior design of the museum represents the traditional wind catchers of Iran, the interior design of the museum resembles the modern Guggenheim Museum in New York.

It is considered to have the most valuable collection of Western modern art outside Europe and the United States, a collection largely assembled by founding curators David Galloway and Donna Stein under the patronage of Farah Pahlavi. It is said that there is approximately £2.5 billion worth of modern art held at the museum. The museum hosts a revolving program of exhibitions and occasionally organizes exhibitions by local artists.
Fullscreen Map
PHOTO GALLERY
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Laleh Park and Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
19
More Photos
Tehran Attractions & Tourist Information
Tehran was one of the villages of Ray city in the Safavid era. At the time of Mongol conquests and destruction of Ray, a large group of people migrated to Tehran village and brought about the development and flourishment of this place. In the Safavid period, Shah Tahmasb ...
EXPLORE OTHER ATTRACTIONS IN Tehran
Milad Tower is an iconic landmark and one of the tallest towers in the world, located in Tehran. The tower stands at an impressive height of 435 meters, making ...
Saadabad is a cultural and historical complex that covers an area of 110 hectares and is located at the northernmost part of Tehran.
One of the best Tehran's Outdoor Experience: The beautiful nature of the strait includes the twin Waterfall which is a walkway to enjoy fresh nature for both local ...
One of the oldest historic monuments in the city of Tehran, and of world heritage status belongs to a group of royal buildings that were once enclosed within the ...
Iranian Garden with an area of about 3.4 hectares, is located in Tehran. The place is designed on the pattern of Persian garden, one of the most inspiring elements ...
The largest pedestrian overpass built in Tehran, The 270-metre (890 ft) bridge connects two public parks: Taleghani Park and Abo-Atash Park by spanning Modarres ...
ON THE SAME CATEGORY
Category: Museums, Mausoleums
The Mausoleum of Avicenna (Abu Ali Sina) is a complex located at Avicenna Square, Hamadan, Iran. Dedicated to the Iranian polymath Avicenna, the complex includes ...
Tomb of Nader Shah (Mashhad)
Category: Museums, Mausoleums
The construction of this museum had begun in the year 1956 AH and finalized in the year 1961. This was erected on grounds having an area of 1448 sq. m. and was ...
Khaneh Mashrooteh is a museum and one of the historic houses in Tabriz once belonged to one of the constitutional revolution activists and the museum inside is ...
Category: Museums
Vaziri Caved Museum launched in September, 2005 in Lavasan (a city near Tehran) and it is run by Dr. Nasser Hooshmand Vaziri who is a famous Iranian sculptor. All ...
Category: Museums
Azerbaijan museum is one of the most significant museums of Iran which is located in Tabriz and next to historical Blue mosque. This museum is recognized as the ...
Category: Museums
The Achaemenid Museum is situated in the Khashayar Shah's Harem (Queen's Palace) in Persepolis Palace (Takht Jamshid) - Marvdasht near Shiraz in Fars Province. ...
REVIEWS
Loading Content
Your Name [required]:
Your Email [required]:
Subject:
Your Message:
Please enter this code:
SEND
Copyright 1995-2005, Iran Tourism and Touring Organization, 2005-2024 Iran Travel, Tourism and Touring Online NGO. All rights reserved.