TEHRAN -- Sculptor Ali Davari’s metal Simorgh, which symbolizes a mythical Iranian bird, was situated in the courtyard of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) in front of Iranshahr Hall.

Made of metal parts from bodies of scrapped cars, the sculpture is one of the series by Davari currently on display at the Autumn Gallery of the forum.
“The forum used to belong to Iran’s army in which my father served for years and I wanted to set up one of the works here to pay my respects to my dad,” he told the Persian service of ISNA.
“IAF director Majid Jozani accepted my proposal and chose one of the little sculptures named ‘Crane’ to set up on the ground floor of the forum and I picked the Simorgh for the courtyard,” he said.
Davari is a retired flight technician, “I have been flying for years and I know it quite well. I love birds and I believe we are not allowed to imprison them. The Simorgh must go on display in an open space for the public, they might want to watch and touch the scrap metal pieces which have been turned into a bird. I am sure they would also take good care of the bird.” His 2m phoenix sculpture is located at Tehran’s Art Bureau.
This is while a series of bronze statues situated in local neighborhoods and parks in Tehran were reported missing over the past months. No official entity has taken charge of the case and so far, no news of any leads or other promising developments in the case has been released.
Tehran’s Beautification Organization has also promised to replace stolen sculptures with new ones in the urban environments of Tehran in June, but there is still no news and no sign of any replacements.
Over the past months, more than 12 bronze statues were reported missing, most of which were believed to have been heisted during the Noruz holidays from March 21 to April 2.
The stolen artifacts include busts of two leaders of the Iranian Constitutional Movement, Sattar Khan in Sattar Khan Street and Baqer Khan in Shahr-Ara Street, and the bust of Iranian master of intarsia art Mohammad-Hossein Sani’khatam at Mellat Park as well as two other sculptures from the courtyard of the Iranian Artists Forum.
Photo: “Simorgh” is on display at the courtyard of the Iranian Artists Forum. (Photo by ISNA)