Iranian Art Gallery Makes Its Mark In Hong Kong

For the fist time ever, Iran will be represented at next year’s prestigious Art Basel fair. Among the 249 galleries participating in the sixth annual Art Basel in Hong Kong is the Tehran-based Dastan’s Basement.

Dastan’s basement is one of 28 new galleries to the fair, which released its full exhibitor list last week and runs from March 29 to March 31 (2018) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Underlining Art Basel’s commitment to the region, half of the participating galleries have exhibition spaces in Asia and Asia-Pacific. The show provides an in-depth overview of the region’s diversity through both historical material and cutting-edge works by established and emerging artists. Art Basel stages three international art fairs annually; one in Basel, Switzerland; Miami Beach, Florida; and Hong Kong.

Of the 27 other new additions to the fair, 14 are based or have exhibition spaces in Asia, including Gallery Baton from Seoul and Gallery Espace from New Dehli. Other first-timers include 47 Canal, Gavin Brown’s enterprise, Hannah Hoffman Gallery, and Galerie Emanuel Layr.

Based in Northern Tehran, Dastan’s Basement was founded in 2012 with a program focused on young and emerging Iranian artists. The gallery expanded in 2014, launching a nearby project space dedicated to the work of Iranian artists.

Hong Kong’s reputation as an influential art hub continues to grow, attracting mega-galleries, and not just during Art Basel. Pace Gallery is readying its second Hong Kong location, while Hauser & Wirth and David Zwirner plan to launch major outposts in the city in 2018. Hong Kong aspires to rival global cultural hubs like London and New York, the only two cities in the world with higher art market revenues. Meanwhile, from Hong Kong and beyond, Iranian artists continue making their mark at the international level.

Dastan Gallery Exhibitions

“Multiplicity Vol. 1” | Curated by Yashar Samimi Mofakham