A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cultural and artistic collaboration was signed between Majid Sarsangi, director general of Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) and Yusuf Mansour-Zadeh, head of Saadabad Palace to help turn Saadabad into “an artistic center in northern Tehran.”
Pointing to the fact that the cultural and historical complex of Saadabad has always been a tourism attraction due to its historical appeal, Sarsangi said: “As northern Tehran lacks an active cultural-artistic complex, Saadabad can play an important role in providing cultural and artistic space due to its great potential and capacity,” public relations office of the IAF said.
The palace hosts painting, sculptor, and calligraphy museums that display masterpieces, and a new art gallery is set to be inaugurated. However, the tourism aspect of Saadabad has received more attention rather than art and culture. He hoped that musical performances, visual art exhibitions and theater and outdoor artistic events would receive an impetus following the MoU.
Virtual Tour
Many original works of art are displayed in the palace for sale but are unaffordable to the common people and in some cases banned for sale, he said, adding that the forum plans to organize a virtual tour to display such artworks, and by producing prototypes signed by the artist of the original work, “we will make available affordable works of art to art lovers.”
The forum is the center of art in Tehran meeting artistic needs “regardless of its limited space,” said Mansour-Zadeh, adding that the MoU intends to boost cultural-artistic activities in northern Tehran utilizing the capacity of the Saadabad Complex.
The one-year MoU entails several collaborative cultural, artistic, and educational programs to be held in the national and international arena namely: art festivals, symposiums, conferences, workshops, theater and musical performances, visual art exhibitions, and interactive display of art works from both sides.
Saadabad Palace was built by the Pahlavi dynasty in the Shemiran area of Tehran. The complex was first inhabited by Qajar monarchs and members of the royal family in the 19th century.
After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the palace became a museum. However, the current presidential palace is located adjacent to the Saadabad compound.
