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Tehran's famed modern art museum goes digital

After decades of carefully guarding its treasures, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is uploading its priceless collection of contemporary art.
An Iranian man takes a picture of a painting by 19th century painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec during the Modern Art Movement exhibition at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran August 29, 2005. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl  MN/JJ - RTRLUWV
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The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) is considered to have the most valuable collection of Western modern art outside Europe and North America. Tucked away in the museum’s 40-year-old treasure vault are such masterpieces as Picasso’s "Artist and His Model," Francis Bacon’s "Two Figures Lying on a Bed With Attendants," Andy Warhol’s "Suicide," Vincent van Gogh’s "At Eternity’s Gate,” Jackson Pollock’s "Mural on Indian Red Ground" and many, many more treasures.

Work is underway to showcase all of the artwork housed at the museum on its website. However, until this process is complete, there will be no permanent displays of the pieces due to what has been described as a lack of space as well as “cultural issues.” There have also been numerous reports in the Iranian media during the past year about some art being stolen but eventually returned.

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