The 4th edition of Art Expo of Several Generations of Iranian Contemporary Artists, which is underway at Laleh gallery, displays small-sized and low-priced works of art.
“The exhibition and sale of affordable pieces by painters and illustrators from around the country has provided an opportunity to ordinary people to purchase works of art,” Honaronline reported.
The idea of showcasing and selling inexpensive works was initially promoted by Arya Gallery to spread the notion that any art-loving individual “must be able to enjoy artworks they can afford” without considering it a luxurious pastime. A work of art should not be valued based on superficial factors like the size or price.
Although various versions of such exhibitions differ in content and selection of artists, they have common purposes like attracting the general public towards art and its trade.
Appealing to ordinary people has two advantages: first, an individual without prior experience of buying million-dollar artworks will be able to afford a piece of artwork of their choice in such galleries; second, it will see a shift in the dominant buyers of the art market from collectors and rich customers to the common people.
In addition, despite the lower profit, artists will get a chance to deal with connoisseurs who genuinely appreciate the works rather than collectors who view artworks “as investment opportunities or another item on their extensive collections.” The small size of the works is another advantage since the price of paintings increase in proportion to their size.
Encouragement
All these reasons have encouraged the gallery to hold exhibitions of the kind for consecutive years as well as increase the number of artists and paintings in each edition.
The first exhibition of the series was held in January and February of 2013. About 90 of the country’s young and seasoned artists displayed more than 250 works of art with prices ranging from $58 to $145. The remarkable reception of the first edition encouraged holding the second one in October 2013 where 223 works by 112 artists were available for view or purchase. In the opening hours of the exhibition, 36 works were sold inspiring art enthusiasts to attend the third edition in February 2014 where 150 paintings, drawings, photographs, and manual art prints by 90 artists were displayed. The third exhibition started off with 86 sales among works priced $30 to $175.
Despite the gallery’s promise to conduct exhibitions at six-month intervals, the fourth edition was held a year from the last one. It is open till the end of the Iranian year (March 20).
At this year’s edition 300 works by 109 artists ranging from $58 to $205 are displayed and 80 of them have been sold so far. The exhibitions primarily aim to bring the young and the veteran artists of the country together and ensure an equal market for both groups.
