Iranian private bank adds new objects to its art museum

TEHRAN,June 19(MNA) -- Iranian private bank Pasargad unveiled a large new collection at its art museum during a ceremony in Tehran on Sunday. The new collection worth over millions of dollars is on display at the Contemporary Art Museum, which was established at the Saba Art and Cultural Institute in 2009. Over 500 artworks including painting, calligraphy, calligraphic painting and sculpture by prominent artists Abbas Kiarostami, Aidin Aghdashlu, Bahman Mohasses, Mohammad Ehsaii and several more are seen in the new collection. The unveiling ceremony took place in the presence of bank managers and officials as well as a group of artists. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ali-Akbar Amin-Tafreshi, one of the co-founders of the museum, said that most legitimate international banks and companies perform social activities on the side such as collecting valuabe artworks. This is the first time in Iran that one of the private economic entities became involved in art dealing, he said, hoping that other private organizations would join the project. He added that Bank Pasargad is determined to promote Iranian art and help provide the means for artworks to find their ways into homes. Art critic Javad Mojabi also present at the ceremony expressed happiness that a private bank has set up a museum of contemporary art. “This is a great effort aiming to support Iranian artists and help better introduce them in other countries,” he added. He also said that other financial organizations and private sectors can follow such a strategy and cover other Iranian artworks as well.