TEHRAN - The 23rd Tehran Auction, titled “Modern and Contemporary Iranian Art,” was held on Thursday at the Parsian Azadi Hotel in Tehran, realizing 1.75 trillion rials (approximately $2.2 million).

The auction featured 100 works by 97 artists, including paintings, calligraphic paintings, sculptures, and photographs, with Shahryar Rabbani as the auctioneer, ISNA reported.

The 23rd Tehran Auction was attended by collectors, buyers, and members of the media. Of the total 100 items presented, 97 works were sold.

Unlike previous editions that featured established figures such as Sohrab Sepehri or Bahman Mohasses, this edition placed more emphasis on contemporary Iranian art, and works by younger and emerging artists were also well received by collectors.

The highest sale of the event was the painting “Andam” (Body) by Hossein Zenderoudi, which sold for 143 billion rials ($178,750). Following it was an untitled piece by Masoud Arabshahi, which sold for 116.6 billion rials ($145,750), making it the second-highest sale.

The sculpture “The Hidden Side” by the young artist Sahand Hesamian sold for 101.2 billion rials ($126,500), securing third place. The “Mirror Ball” by Monir Farmanfarmaian fetched 792 billion rials ($99,000), and an untitled work by Kourosh Shishegaran sold for 748 billion rials ($935,000), ranking fourth and fifth, respectively.

The 23rd Tehran Auction also included works by prominent artists such as Alireza Astaneh, Aydin Aghdashloo, Mohammad Ehsai, Shirin Ettehadieh, Farah Abolghassem, Nasrollah Afjehei, Nasser Ovissi, Sadegh Tabrizi, Parviz Tanavoli, Ane-Mohammad Tatari, Kazem Chalipa, Kambiz Derambakhsh, Hassan Rouholamin, Mahmoud Zenderoudi, Ahmadreza Ahmadi, Gizella Varga Sinai, Jalal Shabahangi, Masoud Arabshahi, Mansour Ghandriz, Parviz Kalantari, Reza Kianian, Sirak Melkonian, Manouchehr Niazi, Manouchehr Yektai, and Arman Yaghoubpour. The exhibited works were on display at the Parsian Azadi Hotel on May 20 and 21, ahead of the auction.

The first of its kind in Iran, the Tehran Auction was launched in 2012 as an independent and private initiative to introduce the best in Iranian art, ranging from established and emerging Iranian artists to art collectors and the global audience.

It aims to address the increasing interest in modern and contemporary Iranian art and facilitate the acquisition of quality works in reliable ways. 

Photo: The highest-grossing works of the auction from left: “Andam” (Body) by Hossein Zenderoudi, Masoud Arabshahi’s untitled piece, and “The Hidden Side” by Sahand Hesamian

SS/SAB