Online Platform Connects Over 200 Iranian Artists With Global Buyers

(MENAFN- USA Art News) An online platform launched on August 13, connecting more than 200 Iranian artists with international buyers. Named Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran, the initiative aims to provide direct financial assistance to a community significantly impacted by ongoing conflict and severe economic hardship due to sanctions.

Continuum is the inaugural project of Duran Art Projects, a Canada-based curatorial platform. This non-profit organization, co-founded by collector Dario Duran and curator Mariam Rasti, offers approximately 700 works by emerging and under-represented Iranian artists. All proceeds from sales go directly to the creators, with participating artists and galleries extending beyond Tehran to various cities and regions across Iran.

The project emerged from the war that began on February 28, following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory attacks. The United Nations' refugee agency reports that the conflict has temporarily displaced 3.2 million people within the country, many of whom evacuated north from Tehran and other major urban centers.

Duran, a Canadian Iranian curator and collector who relocated to Iran from Toronto six years ago, fled Shiraz with his family earlier this year during heavy bombardment, traveling to a coastal town in northern Iran. Rasti also left Tehran for nearby Rasht around the same time.

Duran was profoundly affected by conversations with artists whose circumstances were rapidly deteriorating. He recounted one artist selling paintbrushes and tubes of paint just to survive. Although Duran had begun purchasing works to help, the scale of need was too vast for individual efforts.

He drafted a letter detailing these conversations and circulated it among galleries, friends, and colleagues abroad. Speaking from Shiraz, an emotional Duran told The Art Newspaper that the response was the“ignition” he needed. He recalled,“Every single person who wrote back said two things. That they cried reading it. And that whatever I wanted to do, they would support me.”

Iranian artists face considerable isolation, struggling more than most to gain international exposure. Sanctions frequently complicate shipments and payments, deterring many international galleries from representing them. Visa restrictions also severely limit travel, making opportunities like residencies abroad exceptionally rare. Due to this isolation, artists in Iran seldom encounter international visitors who might purchase their work.

Rasti, with over a decade of experience in the Iranian art world, noted that the sector's difficulties predated the war. She told The Art Newspaper from Tehran,“The art scene is always the first thing to be damaged in any kind of social, political or economic event.” She described artists who had not made a sale for months even before the war, amidst existing unrest and closures across the country.

However, Rasti emphasized that many Iranians deeply value the arts, and the cultural scene remains vibrant. She stated,“We [Iranians] are a people who still go to the tombs of our poets, poets who lived centuries before us, like a pilgrimage site.”

Encouraged by friends abroad, Duran and Rasti initially compiled a PDF of works by approximately 30 artists in urgent need. This format was quickly outgrown as awareness of their project spread. The duo began contacting artists directly via social media and approached Iranian galleries with a condition of no commission. Duran described the response as“unprecedented,” with galleries nationwide waiving their fees to maximize benefits for artists.

Not all applicants were accepted. Rasti and Duran maintained a deliberate curatorial process alongside the relief effort. While the initiative targets artists in Iran experiencing genuine hardship, the platform also seeks to represent serious contemporary practices and consciously avoid an Orientalist perspective.

Rasti characterized Continuum as a deliberate effort to circumvent“trauma marketing,” ensuring artists were not pressured to create war-themed work, resulting in a wide variety of subject matter on the site. Duran reported that the platform's reception has been“overwhelmingly positive,” partly attributed to the dedication of Continuum's global partners.

Logistical and Financial Hurdles

The sales facilitated by Continuum involve both logistical and financial challenges. Duran noted that Iran's currency continues to depreciate due to the mere possibility of further US sanctions, and this volatility can diminish the value of proceeds between sale and payment.

Shipping also presents unpredictability. With flights disrupted since the war began, Continuum provides buyers with a three to six-month delivery window. Duran clarified that the team aims for much faster delivery, explaining that the estimate is simply for“transparent, just in case” communication. Only two buyers have canceled due to shipping terms, with most understanding the difficulties.

Both Duran and Rasti view Continuum as more than just a sales platform. Duran stated,“I look at this as a piece of cultural diplomacy,” adding that“art can maintain forms of connection when other kinds of connection become difficult.” Rasti's goal is to correct an imbalance of visibility often tied to“luck and chance,” ensuring artists in remote towns receive the same exposure as those in Tehran.

This aspect is vital for participating artists. Mina Darijani and Ali Akbar Sharifi, an artist couple based in Bam, Kerman province, both have works featured on the platform. Darijani told The Art Newspaper that at times, one of them must cease working so the other can afford materials. Despite these severe financial struggles, Darijani explained,“when a work of mine is seen or purchased abroad, I don't see it simply as market success. I see it as a kind of opening of a path for connection.”

Source: The Art Newspaper

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