Over 2,000 advertisement billboards in Tehran will be replaced with copies of famous artworks by Iranian and western artists for the second edition of its kind.
In the follow up to a similar event titled ‘A Gallery as Vast as a City’ last year, the Tehran Beautification Organization (TBO) has planned to allocate a major part of the billboards to cultural activities “under a more integrated plan,” Mehr News Agency reported.
The second edition of the project will be held May 21 to 30, said Isa Alizadeh, head of TBO.
“For this year’s event, copies of outstanding works of Iranian and foreign artists generally kept in museums have been selected to be featured in urban spaces.”
He noted that replicas of over 800 masterpieces would decorate city billboards. “The number shows a 10% increase compared to the previous event. Nearly all the commercial billboards will be allocated for the art show, except for the few that do not provide a complete view to the people due to their inappropriate location.”
“This time we are better prepared,” Alizadeh said. Repetitive items, their haphazard spread and illegible information notes due to the small font size, were among the shortcomings of the first project, he noted.
The organizers include experts from the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and Malek Museum among others, “who guarantee the careful selection of the works and quality of the project.”
Deputy for culture and urban art at TBO, Seyed Mojtaba Mousavi pointed out that the installation process has started. “The event will motivate the people to visit museums and cultural centers, and also provide them with the identity and information on the original artworks.”
He hoped that art enthusiasts would give a positive feedback on the project, “as was the case last year.”
