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“Montakhab Nasle No” or better say the selected among the new generation was born in the days that Iranian art, was still dominated by modern art and the lack of the presence of the new generation was very evident. There was no choice except that young artists were given equal opportunity and despite the plurality and the possibility to rehabilitate, but inevitably it was considered the only non-discriminatory manner.
In all previous “Montakhab Nasle No” periods until this forthcoming one which will be the sixth year, it has been tried not to claim a certain judgement and this approach has been selected as the main foundation of the “Montakhab Nasle No” resolution.
The only way to be constraint to this approach is by changing the arbitrators and administrative personnel. But despite all, “Montakhab Nasle No” is still influenced by the outcome of the atmosphere of visual arts every year, and it is not considered deficiency by rather consider it as a realistic characteristic and representation of the annual “Montakhab Nasle No.”
In general each period is based on a principle that a certain gap between demand and transient likes or dislikes should be created to preserve the cultural arts, obviously there is no claim on its inerrancy.
On the other hand the procedure for rejecting and confirming the art works is the result of the knowledge and perspective of the arbitration board and we hope that like previous years “Montakhab Nasle No” maintains its independency and to avoid oppression and that the years ahead will also find the same continuity.
I would also like to use this opportunity to thank my colleagues and not only friends, Shirin Partovi, Ehsan Rasoolof, Hassan Hamedi, & Ehsan Lajevardi, whom with their empathy and sympathy, unsparingly were helping and working along our side. And at the end it is just a reminder of the name we have known for the past six years, “Montakhab Nasle NO”, which was a wish of one person, Parviz Maleki, whose dream was to promote art and culture of his country, so we also commit ourselves and remember his name and hope that the small seed he once planted will one day become a robust and sturdy tree.
Hengameh Moameri
Director of “Montakhab Nasle No”
Winter 2012
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Overview and HistoryTehran is the capital of Iran and the largest city in the Middle East, with a population of fifteen million people living under the peaks of the Alborz mountain range.Although archaeological evidence places human activity around Tehran back into the years 6000BC, the city was not mentioned in any writings until much later, in the thirteenth century. It's a relatively new city by Iranian standards.But Tehran was a well-known village in the ninth century. It grew rapidly when its neighboring city, Rhages, was destroyed by Mongolian raiders. Many people fled to Tehran.In the seventeenth century Tehran became home to the rulers of the Safavid Dynasty. This is the period when the wall around the city was first constructed. Tehran became the capital of Iran in 1795 and amazingly fast growth followed over the next two hundred years.The recent history of Tehran saw construction of apartment complexes and wide avenues in place of the old Persian gardens, to the detriment of the city's cultural history.The city at present is laid out in two general parts. Northern Tehran is more cosmopolitan and expensive, southern Tehran is cheaper and gets the name "downtown."Getting ThereMehrabad airport is the original one which is currently in the process of being replaced by Imam Khomeini International Airport. The new one is farther away from the city but it now receives all the international traffic, so allow an extra hour to get there or back.TransportationTehran driving can be a wild free-for-all like some South American cities, so get ready for shared taxis, confusing bus routes and a brand new shiny metro system to make it all better. To be fair, there is a great highway system here.The metro has four lines, tickets cost 2000IR, and they have segregated cars. The women-only carriages are the last two at the end, FYI.Taxis come in two flavors, shared and private. Private taxis are more expensive but easier to manage for the visiting traveler. Tehran has a mean rush hour starting at seven AM and lasting until 8PM in its evening version. Solution? Motorcycle taxis! They cut through the traffic and any spare nerves you might have left.People and CultureMore than sixty percent of Tehranis were born outside of the city, making it as ethnically and linguistically diverse as the country itself. Tehran is the most secular and liberal city in Iran and as such it attracts students from all over the country.Things to do, RecommendationsTake the metro to the Tehran Bazaar at the stop "Panzda Gordad". There you can find anything and everything -- shoes, clothes, food, gold, machines and more. Just for the sight of it alone you should take a trip there.If you like being outside, go to Darband and drink tea in a traditional setting. Tehranis love a good picnic and there are plenty of parks to enjoy. Try Mellat park on a friday (fridays are public holidays), or maybe Park Daneshjou, Saaii or Jamshidieh.Remember to go upstairs and have a look around, always always always! The Azadi Tower should fit the bill; it was constructed to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire.Tehran is also full of museums such as:the Contemporary Art Museumthe Abghine Musuem (glass works)the 19th century Golestan Royal Palace museumthe museum of carpets (!!!)Reza Abbasi Museum of extraordinary miniaturesand most stunning of all,the Crown Jewels Museum which holds the largest pink diamond in the world and many other jaw-dropping jewels.Text by Steve Smith.
