The Isfahan Museum of Contemporary Art, which is considered a home for visual arts in Iran, was reopened during an impressive ceremony on Saturday in the presence of top dignitaries.
The Majestic Museum Building, which is managed by the community of cultural and leisure organization of the ISFAHAN community, comes from the Safavid era (1501-1736).
The building was extensively renovated during the Qajar period (1794-1925). Masoud Mirza, the then governor of Isfahan, used it as his residential and administrative office.
Because of his profound passion for hunting, Mirza stored his hunting trophies in this building, which, according to museum officers, led to his nickname “Hall of Antlers”.
In order to honor artists and their contributions, the municipality of Isfahan began to be restored a few years ago.
During the reopening ceremony on Saturday, Saeed Mohammadi-Panah, the director of the Isfahan Museum of Contemporary Art, announced that the museum, which serves as a specialized center for visual arts, reopened after four years of restoration and necessary renovations.
The museum will be open to artists, art lovers as well as local and foreign tourists during the upcoming Persian New Year's holidays from March 21st.
Isfahan is a city in Centraliran and is known for its breathtaking Persian architecture and historical buildings from the Safavid era, which are shaped by millions of local and foreign tourists every year.
In addition to the museum's reopening ceremony, the mayor of Isfahan opened two exhibitions and invited visitors to explore “30 years of museum blakers” and “30 years of museum pictures”.
With regard to the historical background of the building, Mohammadi-Panah told the visitors that it goes back to the Safavid era and is one of the valuable historical structures of Isfahans.
Near Chehel Sotun Palace, it was in various functions over the years. Ultimately, it was officially awarded the Isfahan Museum of Contemporary Art in 1994.
According to Mohammadi-Panah, the museum has served as a dynamic hub for art in Isfahan for 30 years and was a home for national and international artists, students for visual arts and researchers.
The proximity to the Isfahan University of Art, which promotes the next generation of artists, has further improved its importance.
He added that the museum encompasses four large galleries with unmistakable architecture. In the past three decades, works by renowned artists from Iran and abroad have been organized, including masterpieces by the well -known Iranian artist Farshchian and German artist Günther Uecker.
The director of the Specialized Office for Visual Arts emphasized that art with the identity of the city is deeply interwoven, and added that the museum organizes a rich collection of over 700 valuable visual works of art, which will soon be exhibited in gallery No. 4 for visitors.