The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) is showcasing a collection of works by Iranian and Arab modern artists in an exhibition titled “The Sea Suspended.” The exhibition, curated by the United Arab Emirates-based Barjeel Art Foundation, opened Nov. 8 and will continue through Dec. 23. The show spans 50 years of works from the 1940s to the 1990s and features artists from around the Arab world, including Egypt, Iraq, North Africa, the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula. The exhibit's title — “The Sea Suspended” — is from a poem by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. This is the first time that an exhibition of Arab art from the modern period has been showcased in Iran.

The TMoCA says the aim of the exhibition is to “provide an opportunity for scholars and students for comparative study of Iranian and Arab modern art.” In an interview with Al-Monitor, TMoCA head Majid Mola Norouzi described the initiative as a “dialogue” between Iranian and Arab art, a point he thinks can also be important in terms of cultural diplomacy. Norouzi told Al-Monitor, “In the present atmosphere, the Islamic world’s cultural image has been tarnished due to movements such as [the Islamic State]. At the same time, there are also nationalistic tensions in the Middle East that have darkened the human and cultural atmosphere between countries.” He added, “I think art and artists can be a pioneer in improving human relations — especially paintings, which use a global language to create this understanding.”

While Arab poetry may be a little known in Iran, there is practically no exposure to nor understanding of Arab visual arts. “The Sea Suspended” is thus considered a first attempt to introduce visual Arab artists to Iranians.

Norouzi told Al-Monitor that introducing the various art movements in the Middle East is among the museum’s goals in line with its policy of showcasing global art movements. “So far, we have held many exhibitions by Western artists. However, we have unfortunately not had exhibitions about the art movements in the Middle East. Some of these movements may have common roots, but they have never been viewed together at the same time. Many Iranian artists and art history experts are not even familiar with Arab visual arts. One of our goals is to provide the atmosphere needed in order to acquaint Iranian artists and art critics with modern Arab art.”