The 14th edition of Cosmoscow Art Fair was held from September 4 to 6, 2026, at the Timiryazev Center in Moscow, with the participation of 108 galleries. This year, 20 galleries participated in the fair for the first time, while 15 galleries from outside Russia also took part in Cosmoscow.
Among the presentations at this year’s fair, modern and contemporary Iranian art was introduced through the “Persian” section. The “Persian” section was presented with the participation of Arthal International, Artibition Gallery as a subsidiary of the institution, and the galleries Homa, Shirin, B, Mozhdeh, Club, and Sole Space.
The selection of works presented in this project brings together diverse experiences of modern and contemporary Iranian art across several generations and artistic movements. Works by 24 artists from different generations and currents of modern and contemporary Iranian art were exhibited in the “Persian” section: Mansour Ghandriz, Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam, Massoud Arabshahi, Ali-Akbar Sadeghi, Abdolreza Daryabeigi, Hossein Kazemi, Sirak Melkonian, Aydin Aghdashloo, Farideh Lashai, Farshid Maleki, Reza Derakhshani, Vahed Khakdan, Mohammad Fasounki, Nikzad Nojoumi, Arman Yaghoubpour, Farbod Morshedzadeh, Hossein Tamjidi, Elham Nafisi, Tarlan Tabar, Naeimeh Ahangari, Bijan Ghasemi-Nejad, Hamed Norouzi, Azim Morakabat-chi, and Ahad Ghadiri.
The generational diversity of this selection makes it possible to approach Iranian art through different trajectories, from experiences associated with modern Iranian art and the avant-garde movements of previous decades to approaches that, in later years, developed new visual languages in painting and contemporary art.
Bringing these works together does not present a uniform or single narrative of Iranian art. Rather, it emphasizes the multiplicity of perspectives, experiences, and trajectories through which contemporary art in Iran has developed. The works in this selection were brought together by Arthal International in collaboration with Iranian galleries and presented as part of the “Persian” section.
In this way, the section provides Russian and international audiences with an opportunity to encounter a part of the history and contemporary landscape of Iranian art. The significance of this participation can also be understood in terms of creating a platform for dialogue between the art scenes of Iran and Russia.
The presentation of works by Iranian artists in Moscow provides an opportunity for them to engage with new audiences and establish connections with galleries, collectors, and art professionals in Russia. Such connections can extend beyond the presentation of the works themselves and contribute to a dialogue between two art scenes with distinct historical and cultural backgrounds.
From this perspective, the “Persian” section at Cosmoscow is not merely an exhibition presentation. Rather, it is an effort to represent part of the breadth of modern and contemporary Iranian art and to place its diverse experiences within an international context.
