17 Jul - 7 Aug, 2026
Statement:
Dastan presents “A Collection Part 2: b. 1957–1977”, a group exhibition selected by Reza Abedini and Aidin Xankeshipour, bringing together works by a generation of Iranian artists whose practices have contributed to the development of contemporary art in Iran.
The exhibition will be on view from July 17 to August 7, 2026, at +2 [Fereshteh], located on the -1 Floor of Sam Center, Fereshteh St., Tehran.
Between 1958, when the first Tehran Painting Biennials were being held at the White Palace (Kakh-e Abyaz), and the two decades that followed, a generation of artists, painters, and designers was coming into being that would later form a significant part of the third and fourth generations of Iranian modern art.
Born between 1957 and 1977, these artists were educated by the pioneers and the second generation of Iran’s modernist movement, inheriting and transforming its artistic legacies in distinct ways.
Working across diverse visual languages and conceptual approaches, they contributed substantially to the expansion of contemporary artistic discourse in Iran. ///
From abstraction and figuration to later contemporary practices, their works reflect a remarkable range of engagements with image-making, history, memory, and both individual and collective experience.
Among those born during these two decades are many influential artists and educators whose impact extended beyond their own artistic production, shaping subsequent generations through teaching, mentorship, and institutional engagement.
A Collection No. 2 brings together a selection of works that reflect the breadth and diversity of these artistic experiences while revisiting the position of a generation that played a vital role in the formation of contemporary Iranian art.
The exhibition does not claim to offer a comprehensive survey of artists born during these years, nor does it seek to present the most important or definitive examples of their work.
Rather, it proposes an occasion for reconsideration and renewed attention.
At its core, the project returns to a generation whose professional and artistic trajectories were shaped amid profound social and political transformations: from the 1979 Revolution to the years of the Iran–Iraq War.
Working within complex and often challenging circumstances, these artists helped define the visual and intellectual foundations upon which much of today’s Iranian art continues to build.
By bringing renewed attention to the third and fourth generations of Iranian modern art, this collection acknowledges the women and men whose commitment, idealism, perseverance, and professional dedication enriched the cultural landscape of Iran and contributed to a legacy that remains visible and influential in contemporary artistic practice today.
Curator:
Artists
Installation view
