Restoration to Begin at Top Tehran Museum

Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art will be restored and expanded 40 years after inception, according to the head of the museum Ali Mohammad Zare.

“This year the museum received 60 billion rials ($1,400,000) for renovation and equipment,” Zare told IRNA.

“Activities of the museum will obviously be limited during the renovation phase…but the museum remains open,” he said. “We’ll do our best to keep the museum’s main programs intact.”

The TMoCA repository will also undergo repairs. “The treasured collection will be moved to other parts in the museum”. Zare said none of the items will leave the museum.

 “The best place to store the artworks is the museum itself.” The treasures will be moved from one gallery to another. Renovations are expected to start later this month. “We are in talks with contractors.”

The courtyards surrounding the museum are adorned with two cast bronze sculptures created by Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966). One of them is the ‘Striding Man’ series; the other is a standing figure. Both have been damaged by acid rain.

“Based on our contacts with Fondation Giacometti (a French public interest institute), experts from that institution will travel to Iran in March” when the bronze statues are planned to be restored and moved indoors.