Currently, Foundry Downtown Dubai is holding Fragments of Persian Modernity: Selected Pieces from Iranian Modern and Contemporary Art. Presented by the Bavan Gallery, Hoor Gallery, and Zafi Gallery, this collective exhibition explores the evolution of Iranian artistic expression across modern and contemporary periods. Running through 13 May 2025, the show brings together key works by influential Iranian artists whose practice reflects the interplay between tradition, innovation, and the global currents of modern art.
Fragments of Persian Modernity offers a rare glimpse into the complexities of Iranian identity, politics, and culture. The diverse art pieces on display chart a journey from the bold experiments of mid-20th-century modernists, who blended Persian motifs with international avant-garde movements, to the contemporary artists navigating issues of diaspora, memory, and resilience in today’s shifting landscape.
The exhibition invites one to consider how Iranian artists have negotiated their position between East and West, history and future, individuality and collective heritage. Each artwork is a fragment, an intimate, powerful reflection of broader societal changes and personal narratives, woven into the larger tapestry of Persian modernity.
Among the featured artists is Massoud Arabshahi, a pivotal figure in the Iranian neo-traditionalist movement. His intricate compositions, often inspired by ancient Persian reliefs and cuneiform inscriptions, explore the intersection of myth, memory, and modern abstraction. Modernist Parvaneh Etemadi is also represented. Known for her minimalist still lifes and richly textured surfaces, in her paintings, she captures the emotional resonance of everyday objects, reflecting a subtle dialogue between fragility and endurance.
The exhibition showcases works by contemporary artist Raana Farnoud, whose evocative paintings often explore the complexities of personal and collective identity. Through delicate brushwork and dreamlike imagery, Farnoud navigates themes of memory, displacement, and transformation. Meanwhile, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian creates mesmerising mirror mosaics and geometric sculptures. Drawing from Islamic architecture and modern abstraction, her art embodies a perfect balance between mathematical precision and spiritual luminosity.
Visitors can also look at artworks by Pariyoush Ganji, renowned for her synthesis of Persian art traditions and contemporary design. Her paintings and textile pieces are rooted in the aesthetics of Iranian ornamentation, reinterpreted through a modernist’s eye. Her vibrant exploration of colour and pattern reflects a conversation between the historical and the new.
The exhibition also displays artworks by 23 other artists, including Nasser Assar, Fereydoun Ave, Mehdi Hosseini, Shohreh Mehran, Farah Ossouli, Homayoun Salimi, and Mohammad Ali Taraghijah, to name a few.
To get more information about Fragments of Persian Modernity, please visit the exhibition’s official web page.
In addition, you might be interested in viewing Form and Rhythm at Sotheby’s Dubai and Fahrelnissa and the Institutes: Towards a Sky, one of the online exhibitions at the Cultural Foundation.
