Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art on Sunday unveiled in its public space a new statue donated by acclaimed British sculptor Tony Cragg.
The gigantic 320 cm by 158 cm marble sculpture titled “Roots & Stones” was created in 1949 and is now placed near the famous conceptual piece by Karl Schlamminger in the museum’s sculpture garden.
“I leave this sculpture as a reminder of friendship, tolerance and my visit to Iran,” Cragg said at the unveiling ceremony.
The ceremony attended by Cragg, Director General of Iran’s Visual Arts Office Majid Molla-Norouzi and TMoCA Director Ali Mohammad-Zare’ alongside leading figures in the arts, ILNA reported.
“Today is an unforgettable day for TMoCA. We had good relationship with the world’s artists in the past four years. When I visited Tony Cragg’s exhibition in Dusseldorf, I didn’t think we could exhibit his work in Tehran, Isfahan and Kerman,” Molla-Norouzi said.
The museum featured 60 sculptures and 140 sketches on paper from the artist last October in an exhibit titled “Tony Cragg: Roots & Stones” that ran for three months. The works also went on display in Isfahan and Kerman.
“The exhibition of my works in Iran was very good for me and I enjoyed the atmosphere. The enthusiasm in young people to see my works has a deep influence on me,” the Turner Prize winner artist said.
Born in Liverpool, Cragg, 69, is famous for merging unconventional materials, including plastic, fiberglass, bronze and Kevlar into sublime twisting sculptures. He is currently based in Wuppertal, Germany.
“I’m not a diplomat but as an artist, I know from this exchange we have a common language that is based on peace,” the sculptor said while his masterpiece joined a collection of 15 other renowned sculptures in the museum’s public area.
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is currently closed for renovation till November 2018. However, the new statue can be viewed from outside near the works of masters, including Henry Moor, Rene Magritte, Parviz Tanavoli and Alberto Giacometti.
The museum is located next to Laleh Park on North Karegar Street.
