In a Friend’s View

The deep friendship between Parviz Shapour and Ardeshir Mohassess began at Khosheh magazine. Later, Mohassess encouraged Shapour to pursue a more serious path in caricature, which eventually led to the creation of Shapour’s famous Caricalligrams. Many of Shapour’s works were inspired by portraits or figures of Ardeshir Mohassess, leaving behind an enduring image of Mohassess as seen through the eyes of a friend.

The Charsoo Exhibition, held in recent weeks with a focus on various methods of presenting artworks, will enter its second phase on Friday, October 3. This new phase, featuring works different from the previous edition, will continue under new conditions until October 24.

The book Art and Value by George Dickie is one of the significant works in the philosophy of art, introducing the institutional theory of art and examining both artistic value and the definition of art. This book stands as a primary source for understanding modern theories of art and offers a more precise and practical definition of art—one that proves applicable when engaging with contemporary art, conceptual works, and even innovative experimental forms. In this essay, we will introduce this book and explore its theoretical dimensions.

Many art events around the world are implementing innovative and effective ideas when faced with crises affecting the art market. Each of these ideas was formed at a specific time with the idea of ​​creating buying incentives for new audiences and collectors. In the following pages, we will highlight the different approaches of four global events during times of art market turbulence.

At the heart of Iran’s historic bazaars, the Charsoo was the intersection of four paths, a golden point where voices intertwined, and where buyer and seller, conversation and transaction, gaze and choice, all converged upon a single stage. Today, as the Iranian art market stands amid crisis and political and social upheaval, we have sought to create a new foundation inspired by the logic of the traditional bazaar. Just as many international art fairs and major global events have turned to new methods of presentation and sale during times of recession, so too does Charsoo strive to bring together all such approaches into a coherent structure adapted to the present condition of Iranian art. In this way, Charsoo becomes a new and comprehensive path for structured engagement with the less-than-ideal realities of today—an endeavor that aims to function beyond mere display of artworks.

The Charsoo Group Exhibition, featuring a diverse selection of works by prominent Iranian artists, will open on Friday, September 5th (14 Shahrivar) at Artibition Gallery. This exhibition has been organized with the aim of presenting various strategies and methods of sales within Iran’s art scene, seeking to help the field rise again after recent crises. Throughout history, different global events have emphasized specific approaches to selling art, and now, this exhibition brings together all those paths in one place.

The book “Artistic Experience in Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology” by Nader Shayganfar is a work that, in fidelity to the thought of Maurice Merleau-Ponty—the prominent French phenomenological philosopher—examines the relationship between artistic experience and the horizons of phenomenology. The author shows that Merleau-Ponty does not regard modern art merely as a domain of aesthetics, but rather as a field in which being is disclosed and the relation between consciousness and the world is rethought.

The art market is one of the oldest and most dynamic markets in human history, and it serves not only as a reflection of artistic taste and sensibility but also as a mirror of the social, economic, and technological transformations of societies. The value of artworks, market trends, and methods of transaction have always been indicators of broader changes in the cultural economy. Understanding these transformations provides artists, collectors, and researchers with deep insight into the ways artworks are bought, sold, and valued. From direct commissions during the Renaissance to digital platforms and NFTs, the processes of art transactions have undergone significant changes that have influenced both the nature of art itself and humanity’s interaction with it.

"Contemporary Iranian calligraphy is a reflection of innovation combined with fidelity to the classical foundations of this art. By employing digital tools, mixed media, and personal creativity, this artistic branch has transformed Persian-Arabic letters into abstract forms. Contemporary calligraphy opened a path for introducing and presenting the art of Iranian calligraphy to the world, and along this journey, many museums began exhibiting and preserving such works."

On Photography is considered a profound study of photography. It was first published in 1977 and has since been reprinted many times. This book has also been translated by Farzaneh Taheri and published by Aban Publishing. In this work, Sontag regards photography as the most important factor in transforming today’s world into one saturated with images. She believes that people often prefer representation to the direct, tangible experience of the moment. Nevertheless, in some passages she notes that, for many, photography—like dance or singing—serves primarily as a form of entertainment. Photography influences us and our self-perception. According to this philosopher, photographs now define frameworks and delineate the boundaries of transparency.

The arrival of each visitor at an old house with tall windows overlooking a cozy courtyard—now home to Atbin Gallery and a well-known architectural office belonging to Farokh Azarin—is always met with the warm welcome of Farhad Azarin, the gallery’s director, who personally accompanies them to explain the artworks on display. Located in Khakzad Alley, just before Tehran’s Parkway Bridge, the house had served for years as an architecture office. After its renovation, it was named “Atbin Gallery” on June 25, 2000. The gallery’s name, taken from the Borhan-e Qate’ dictionary, means “collector of virtues.” Its logo, originally designed by Sirak Melkonian for architect Azarin’s architectural brand, was eventually adopted to represent Atbin Gallery. From installing artworks to selecting artists, from engaging with visitors to using its logo and preserving a cohesive identity, Atbin Gallery demonstrates meticulous, detail-oriented approaches that align with global standards.

Perhaps paying attention to Tehran—its everyday life, its urban symbols and landmarks, its history, or even its hidden corners that hold meaning for small circles of friends—is part of the Iranian path toward self-awareness, in search of understanding and discovering itself as a subject. This perceptual process of what is called “Iranian,” together with the global growth and expansion of fields related to the study of everyday life and the city, lends even greater legitimacy to the focus on Tehran—especially now, when, alongside political, economic, and social crises, it has acquired multiple new layers. At the same time, this tendency has carved out a market for itself, attracting enthusiasts who, at least in the field of visual arts, are willing to spend more generously on artworks related to Tehran. All of this, taken together, has opened the space for presenting Tehran-related art, and one can now see numerous cultural products related to Tehran and its associated subcultures in various forms—from mass-produced items (clothing, decorative products, etc.) to one-of-a-kind works of art exhibited individually. So, can we consider the “Tehran” exhibition, held at Artibition Gallery from July 17 to August 11, as part of this very trend?