TEHRAN – The expansion of cultural and artistic relations was discussed in meeting between Iranian Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs Ali Moradkhani and an Austrian cultural delegation at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday.

The delegation, which accompanied Austrian President Heinz Fischer in a visit to Tehran on Monday, also visited the treasuries of the museum, the TMCA announced in a press release on Wednesday.

Agnes Husslein, the Director of the Austrian National Gallery Belvedere in Vienna, a museum housed in the Belvedere Palace, gave details about the history of the museum to the participants.

Sabine Haag, the General Director of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, said that the museum has long been collaborating with the museums of Iran especially the National Museum of Iran in conducting research works.

Dr. Evelyn Benesch, the Deputy Director of the Bank Austria Kunstforum of Vienna, in her brief speech said that the institution chiefly displays art from the classic and modern periods and postwar avant-garde.

She added that one of their interests is to display the collections of TMCA in her country.

Moradkhani for his part told the Austrian delegation that the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is an art collection, adding, “There is no agenda of politics here. We try to be active in the cultural arena focusing on music, theater, visual arts and performing arts”.

“We have had good collaborations with Austria in art and music activities but we can also broaden our cooperation in the visual arts,” he added.

He also said that Iranian youth are highly interested in bilateral cooperation between the two countries and these types of cooperation can be developed more deeply.

He continued that in an agreement to be signed between the officials of the two countries, there would definitely be an emphasis on joint activities on art and culture. “We can invite this friendly group again to the country for further cooperation,” he concluded.

Austrian President Fischer arrived in Tehran on Monday at the head of a senior delegation upon the invitation of President Hassan Rouhani.

Photo: Iranian Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs Ali Moradkhani (R) meets an Austrian cultural delegation at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art on September 8, 2015. (Honaronline/Bahareh Asadi)

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