Tehran Auction grosses about $4 million

Monitoring Desk

TEHRAN – The 13th Tehran Auction has grossed about 880 billion rials (about $4 million based on Iran’s free-market exchange rate: $1 = 221,000 rials).

“Memories of Hope”, a diptych gouache and colored pencil created on cardboard by Aidin Aghdashlu in 2020, was the most expensive work sold at the auction on Friday as it fetched 120 billion rials (about $550,000).

A total of 110 lots of modern and contemporary Iranian art were offered during the auction held at Tehran’s Parsian Azadi Hotel.

The second most expensive work sold at the sale was “Master and Disciple”, a bronze sculpture by Parviz Tanavoli, who created the artwork in 2011. It fetched 67 billion rials (over $300,000).

“DJE-DJA-DOU”, an acrylic on canvas by Hossein Zenderudi, was the third most expensive work sold at the auction at 63 billion rials (over $280,000).

It was followed by an untitled calligraphic painting on canvas from Mohammad Ehsai’s series “The Whisper of Love” that was sold for 59 billion rials (about $267,000).

An untitled painting by Mansur Qnariz was the sole artwork that failed to find a buyer at the auction.

Photo: Employees present Aidin Aghdashlu’s diptych painting “Memories of Hope” during the 13th Tehran Auction at the Parsian Azadi Hotel on January 15, 2021. The artwork was the top seller fetching about $550,000.

Courtesy: Tehran Times