Magic in Monaco | July 2017

Notes to Editors For press information please contact: darya@mopfoundation.com +44 (0)207 235 8026

MAGIC IN MONACO 20 – 29 JULY 2017 | MONACO In the presence of distinguished artist and guest of honour Nicky Nodjoumi Please find e-invite attached Magic of Persia, is delighted to announce that its next fundraising exhibition & art auction will be taking place in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

A carefully curated art exhibition of artworks will be held at the Kamil Art Gallery in Monte Carlo and auctioned in collaboration with the world renowned auction-house Christie’s at a seated VIP dinner held at the Yacht Club de Monaco; the centerpiece of Monaco’s remodeled harbour designed by Norman Foster.

The artworks are generously donated to MOP Foundation by well-known and established Iranian artists, galleries and collectors from around the world.

MOP will be bringing its unique vision and distinguished supporters to Monaco this July, with an exclusive programme of events beginning with an Exhibition Opening Reception on the 20th at Kamil Art Gallery. The show will remain open until the 28th.

VIP guests and interested buyers will have a chance to view the artworks in the presence of our guest of honour Nicky Nodjoumi at an Exhibition Preview & Champagne Reception taking place on the 27th.

On the 28th special guests will attend a Magical VIP Dinner with an exclusive book signing of award-winning writer Joobin Bekhrad’s new book, Coming Down Again. Joobin Bekhrad is the founder and editor of REORIENT, an acclaimed online publication about the contemporary arts and culture of the Middle East. This event is generously sponsored by Mr & Mrs Sassan Behnam Bakhtiar.

Finally, on the evening of the 29th July, a Gala Dinner & Live Art Auction will take place at the Yacht Club de Monaco, during which guests will be dazzled by the phenomenal experimentalist Gerard Senehi. The artworks are donated by well-known artists such as Fereydoun Ave, Pooya Aryanpour, Marjane Satrapi, Parviz Tanavoli and HIM Farah Pahlavi. The evening will be themed with the unique regale flare of the Bakhtiar Designs.

The guest of honour for all of these events is the acclaimed Iranian, Brooklyn based artist

Nicky Nodjoumi. His work has spanned over decades, being presented globally and

acquired by several prominent institutional collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the British Museum in London and Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi to name a few.

The keynote speaker will be Dina Nasser Khadivi, a curator, consultant and the force behind numerous projects and initiatives contributing to the development of an international platform for art from the Middle East, Iran and the Caucasus. Her recent publication, a double volume hardcover book, Life is Beautiful, is the first monograph devoted to contemporary Iranian artist Farhad Moshiri.

16A Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9HB, UK I Tel: +44 20 7235 8026 I Fax: +44 20 7259 6417 www.mopcap.com I shirley@mopfoundation.com I Registered Charity no. 1104066

TIMELINE OF EVENTS In the presence of distinguished artist and guest of honour

Nicky Nodjoumi THURSDAY 20 JULY

7:00-9:30 pm

Exhibition Opening Reception

Kamil Art Gallery Emilie Palace, 3, Avenue Princess Grace

FRIDAY 28 JULY

Magical VIP Dinner

Featuring a book signing of Coming Down Again by award winning writer Joobin Bekhrad

THURSDAY 27 JULY

This event is generously sponsored by Mr & Mrs Sassan Behnam-Bakhtiar

7:00-9:30 pm

This event is by invitation only.

Exhibition Preview & Champagne Reception

Kamil Art Gallery Emilie Palace, 3, Avenue Princess Grace The exhibition will be open to public from the 20 – 28 July

SATURDAY 29 JULY 8:00 pm- 1:00 am

Gala Dinner & Live Art Auction Conducted by Christie’s Keynote Speaker: Dina NasserKhadivi

Yacht Club de Monaco, Quai Louis II 98000 Monaco This event is by invitation only.

16A Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9HB, UK I Tel: +44 20 7235 8026 I Fax: +44 20 7259 6417 www.mopcap.com I shirley@mopfoundation.com I Registered Charity no. 1104066

SHOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN OBTAINING A PRESS PASS FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE EVENTS, PLEASE CONTACT: darya@mopfoundation.com

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Rasoul Akbarloo Pooya Aryanpour Fereydoun Ave Keyvan Azad Niloufar Banisadr Behzad Behnam Sassan Behnam-Bakhtiar Henry Dallal Morteza Darebaghi Shiva Eini Firouz Farman Farmaian Ghalamdar Dzamil Kamangar Shokoufeh Malekkiani Manou Marzban Ali Nassir Nicky Nodjoumi Jason Noushin

Fereydoon Omidi Yari Ostovany Farah Pahlavi Farnaz Rabiejah Maryam Rastghalam Saeed Ravanbakhsh Ali Razavi Shadi Rezaei Hossein Rezvani Katayoun Rouhi Yashar Samimi Mofakham Marjane Satrapi Maryam Shirinloo Koorosh Shishegaran Shaghayegh Shojaian Farah Soltani Parviz Tanavoli

16A Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9HB, UK I Tel: +44 20 7235 8026 I Fax: +44 20 7259 6417 www.mopcap.com I shirley@mopfoundation.com I Registered Charity no. 1104066

Nicky Nodjoumi The Newcomer, 2011-2013 Oil on canvas 152.4 x 132 cm

Shaghayegh Shojaeian, 2016 Modigliani in Wonderland Acrylic on canvas, 100 x 145 cm

Fereydoun Ave Persian Miniatures Series, 2006 Mixed media collage on paper 126 x 90 cm

Fereydoon Omidi Untitled, 2012 Oil on canvas 150 x 120 cm

16A Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9HB, UK I Tel: +44 20 7235 8026 I Fax: +44 20 7259 6417 www.mopcap.com I shirley@mopfoundation.com I Registered Charity no. 1104066

Hossein Rezvani Tongue Carpet, 2017 Hand knotted carpet, Persian highland wool and pure natural silk 200 x 150 cm

HM Farah Pahlavi Sud Marocain, 2011 Lithograph 100cm x 72cm Edition 1/10

Niloufar Banisadr Voiles aux Vents No.1, 2012 Inkhet print, Baryta paper, 110 x 78 cm Edition 5 of 10 + 2 EA

Marjane Satrapi Persepolis, 2017 Digital c-print on archival paper 29.7 x 42 cm each Unique Edition for MOP

16A Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9HB, UK I Tel: +44 20 7235 8026 I Fax: +44 20 7259 6417 www.mopcap.com I shirley@mopfoundation.com I Registered Charity no. 1104066

Established in 2004, MOP promotes Iranian art and culture to a wider audience outside of Iran, and strives to make a notable contribution to its long-term advancement worldwide.

This is accomplished by establishing programmes in modern and contemporary Iranian art, music, media and academia in partnership with world-class institutions.

By providing artists with a platform to exhibit their work on an international stage, and engage in critical discourse and cultural exchange on multiple levels, MOP offers opportunities for artists to hone their skills and find their voice beyond national barriers and international boundaries.

16A Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9HB, UK I Tel: +44 20 7235 8026 I Fax: +44 20 7259 6417 www.mopcap.com I shirley@mopfoundation.com I Registered Charity no. 1104066

MOP PROGRAMMES INCLUDE: • • • • • •

The Magic of Persia Contemporary Art Prize (MOP CAP); a global search for the next generation of young Iranian visual artists

Curate Archive, online residency/exhibition

Family days bringing together more than 120,000 people at the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum in London

Art residencies and exhibitions for young Iranian artists at the Delfina Foundation, Parasol unit and Saatchi Gallery in London

Scholarships and grants in higher education at the Royal College of Art, London Film School, and Goldsmiths University in London

A series of artists’ panel discussions entitled ‘Different Perspectives on Modern and Contemporary Iranian Art’ in collaboration with the British Museum The charity’s primary source of funding derives from the auction of artwork generously donated by established and emerging Iranian and international artists.

Conducted by Christie’s and Sotheby’s, and held in Europe, the UAE and the US, the success of these fundraising events relies entirely on the participation and support of artists and patrons alike. Sponsorships from organisations and individuals also support MOP’s various projects.

For more information, please visit our website at: www.mopfoundation.com Facebook: @MagicofPersia Twitter: @MagicofPersia Instagram: @Mopfoundation

Magic of Persia (MOP) is non-political, non-religious, UK registered charity based in London (#1104066).

16A Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9HB, UK I Tel: +44 20 7235 8026 I Fax: +44 20 7259 6417 www.mopcap.com I shirley@mopfoundation.com I Registered Charity no. 1104066

EVENT SPONSORS

16A Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9HB, UK I Tel: +44 20 7235 8026 I Fax: +44 20 7259 6417 www.mopcap.com I shirley@mopfoundation.com I Registered Charity no. 1104066

Nicky Nodjoumi Brooklyn-based artist Nicky Nodjoumi was born in Kermanshah, Iran in 1942. Earning a Bachelor’s degree in art from Tehran University of Fine Arts before relocating to the United States in the late 1960s, Nodjoumi received his Master’s degree in Fine Arts from The City College of New York in 1974. Returning to Tehran to join the faculty of his alma mater, Nodjoumi joined his politically galvanized students in their criticism of the Shah’s regime, designing political posters inspired by the revolutionary spirit sweeping the country, only to be exiled once more in the aftermath of the revolution.

This political engagement has continued to the present day. His nuanced figurative paintings engage in political discourse with a light, satirical touch, layering his personal heritage and lived experiences in Iran and the United States into scenes that resonate beyond specific historical contexts or geographical boundaries.

Nodjoumi’s works are conceived of as theatrical stages, where compositions of figures both serious and ridiculous, in the words of Phong Bui, “house meanings without irony, narratives without stories, humor without morality, above all creating a space that heightens the awareness of old and new history.” Serious in subject matter and witty in execution, these rich and diverse characters enliven Nodjoumi’s narratives and allude to collective experiences underpinned by socio-political struggles, articulating the full spectrum of feelings from aggression to victimhood.

Nicky Nodjoumi's works are in several prominent institutional collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the British Museum in London, Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi, the DePaul Art Museum in Chicago, and the National Museum of Cuba. In 2014, Nicky had a solo exhibition at the Cleveland Institute of Art titled The Accident. The artist lives and works in Brooklyn.

Dina Nasser-Khadivi

Dina Nasser-Khadivi is an independent curator and consultant, specialising in International Contemporary art.

Her initial focus over the past decade was on the Middle East and Iran with additional selected areas of the Caucasus. Originally a 19/20th century Orientalist art specialist at Christie’s, Dina began to work with Middle Eastern and Iranian Contemporary art in 2006, developing an international platform for the artists by organising numerous awareness-raising initiatives, such as the landmark symposium “An Introduction to the World of Iranian Modern and Contemporary Art” held at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles in the fall of 2010 in partnership with Magic of Persia. With projects that have included curating private collections and advising major institutions, Dina divides her practice between New York, London, Geneva, and Dubai.

Exhibitions she has curated include Love Me, Love Me Not (2013) at the 55th Venice Biennale, which later travelled to the Zaha Hadid-designed Heydar Aliyev Center (2014), as well as Shirin Neshat’s inaugural exhibition in Baku The Home of My Eyes (2015). In addition to contributing to the catalogues of these exhibitions, she edited and produced Farhad Moshiri’s monograph published by SKIRA (2016). Dina is currently an International Consultant for Christie’s and a member of the MENAAC at Tate Modern.

16A Lowndes Square, London SW1X 9HB, UK I Tel: +44 20 7235 8026 I Fax: +44 20 7259 6417 www.mopcap.com I shirley@mopfoundation.com I Registered Charity no. 1104066