TEHRAN -- The second edition of the Tehran Art Expo will open at the Vahdat Hall on December 21.

In a press conference held here on Sunday at Vahdat Hall, Mahmud Shaluii, director of the Visual Office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Asghar Amirnia, managing director of the Rudaki Foundation, and expo secretary Amir Abdolhosseini took part and elaborated on the programs of the expo.
Shaluii spoke first and talked about the programs of the ministry’s Visual Office and said, “The Culture ministry is determined to help promote and magnify the art economy and hold art malls on the Caspian Sea coast during the summer time.
“We are also planning to hold regional expos in major cities afterwards,” he remarked.
He went on to say, “We have also invited different public organizations to have an active presence at the expo and purchase artwork. Foreign countries and collectors are also invited to the gala.”
“The world market warmly welcomes Iranian artwork and we also welcome this idea. But we also are trying to hold the expo in a way that meets the needs of our domestic citizens for visual arts,” he explained, adding that the office is thinking of establishing a permanent hall in Tehran for auctioning artwork in the near future.
Secretary of the expo Abdolhosseini continued that the expo announcement was passed on to the galleries three months ago and each one will be introducing 5 to 10 artists with 25 works. We will also dedicate one part to veteran artists to hold solo exhibits.
“A collection of 1500 works by 750 artists will go on display in the second edition of the expo. Over 50 galleries along with different institutes including Saba, Esmaeilzadeh and Aftab are taking part in this expo.
“The galleries determine the price for each piece under the supervision of the art expo council,” he highlighted.
Amirnia was the next to speak and said, “The Rudaki Foundation is collaborating in this project to promote art. There was a five-year delay after its first edition, and we plan to help it continue in the coming years. We hope to make it an international event and help improve economic conditions of art in the country.”
The second edition of Tehran Art Expo will continue through January 4.