Mahboubeh Kazemi: Middle Eastern Contemporary Art Is Experiencing an Identity Suspension / The Urgent Need to Return to Authenticity.
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Mahboubeh Kazemi: Middle Eastern Contemporary Art Is Experiencing an Identity Suspension / The Urgent Need to Return to Authenticity.
Mahboubeh Kazemi, founder and director of Baran Auction—the first specialized auction dedicated to calligraphy and Iranian-Islamic art—offers a detailed analysis of an outstanding calligraphic work by Mir Emad Al-Hassani that was sold at the inaugural edition of the auction. Using this masterpiece as a point of departure, she highlights remarkable examples of works by the “pinnacle of Nastaliq” preserved in some of the world’s most prestigious museums.
The world does not know that the so-called male-dominated Middle East also produced remarkable women artists a century ago—women whose artistic creations have enriched humanity’s cultural heritage. Today, Zinat al-Sadat Emami, in her nineties in Isfahan, Iran, continues to shine. In my view, she forms the third radiant vertex alongside Monir Farmanfarmaian and Fakhr-al-Nisa’ Zeid.
In four editions of the Baran Auction — a specialized auction for calligraphy, Islamic art, and traditional civilizational works — many pieces have achieved remarkable records. Six such works are introduced in this article.
One of the most significant achievements of Baran Auction has been the revitalization of the market for Islamic arts and calligraphy alongside a curated selection of modern and contemporary works—a combination that both preserves artistic roots and offers a perspective on emerging currents. This dual approach has brought Iranian and international audiences to a shared point of engagement and has elevated both the cultural and economic value of the artworks
A decade ago, Mahboubeh Kazemi launched Baran Auction, the first specialized auction dedicated to calligraphy and Islamic arts, featuring artists from Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, and achieving total sales of $871,000. Since 2016 (1395 SH), with the establishment of Baran Auction—the first auction in the Middle East exclusively focused on calligraphy and Islamic arts—Mahboubeh Kazemi has reminded the region of the enduring importance of its traditional and civilizational heritage. Four successful…
During the special meeting "The Economics of Calligraphy Art and Its Contribution to the Advancement of Art and Cultural Economics" at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, Mahboubeh Kazemi Doulabi, the manager of the Taraneh Baran Gallery and the creator of the Baran Auction, a specialized auction of calligraphy and Islamic Iranian arts, highlighted infrastructure points.
TEHRAN –(Iranart) - The founder and manager of Taraneh Baran Gallery and Baran Auction explained the art situation in Coronavirus days.
TEHRAN –(Iranart) - Five folios from a rare manuscript of the Shahnameh, the epic masterpiece of the Persian poet Ferdowsi, was the top lot of the 4th Baran Auction, which is dedicated to the sale of calligraphic paintings and calligraphy works.
TEHRAN – (Iranart) - More and more investors in the world are looking at the art market as an alternative to traditional investment assets. At the same time, numerous academic studies have tried to ascertain the returns for art over the years. The question is how come this is not happening in Iran, why not many so many people invest in art?