Three Billion Dollars of Modern Art in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (Iran)

Designed by the iranian architect Kamran Diba (Queen Farah's cousin) and located in Tehran, the museum was built adjacent to the Laleh Park and inaugurated in 1977.

The museum's modern art collection was assembled during the 70's oil boom by Kamran Diba with the support of the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his wife Queen Farah.

Unfortunately with the advent of the Islamic Revolution and the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinei, the collection had to be placed in a climate controlled basement, behind a high-security door only accessible through a safe combination.

The Tehran Museum of Contemporay Art holds one of the most important modern art collections in the world, with an estimated value of up to three million dollars.

At request its collection is showed to visiting artists and students, says Mr. Habibollah Sadeghi, the museum's actual director, however the paintings exhibited in the public galleries are by Iranian artists.

In its collection are included a great number of works from famous artists including André Derain, Alberto Giacometti, Camile Pissarro, Claude Monet, Diego Rivera, Mary Cassatt and Pierre Soulages.

Also included is probably the world's most valuable painting by Jackson Pollock "Mural on a Red Indian Ground" and a Pop Art section with portraits of Mao Zedong, Marilyn Monroe and Mick Jagger, by Andy Warhol.

According to Mr. Sadeghi, there are plans to open a major museum where these works may be exhibited to the public.

Article based upon news found by Mario Vukelic from Pastel News