HIDDEN MODERNISMS: ART EXILED, SILENCED, AND SAVED

This two-part illustrated talk explores extraordinary modern art collections shaped by politics, secrecy, and survival. From the deserts of Uzbekistan to the galleries of Tehran, discover how avant-garde artworks were hidden, banned, and preserved against the odds - and why they still resonate today. The first talk follows the remarkable story of Russian avant-garde works suppressed under Stalin but safeguarded in a remote museum in Uzbekistan, where they survived decades of censorship. The second explores the modern art collection assembled by Farah Diba, the last Empress of Iran, now largely unseen inside Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art, closed for years to the outside world. Art historian and traveler Jeanne Cooper has visited both collections and will share her personal insights, photographs, and reflections, weaving together art history, political change, and lived experience. A fascinating journey into the hidden lives of modern art.

Photo credits:   "The Healer" (1967) by René Magritte - TMoCA, Tehran maHidoodi at https://flickr.com/photos/41415970@N00/1207651875. It was reviewed on 25 March 2024 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

Building external: This image was uploaded as part of Wiki Loves Monuments 2018 by