The Changing Landscapes of Iranian Art

Tehran Auction As a Mirror

Bibliographic Data

ID9977552
AuthorsElham Etemadi (0000-0001-9449-562X, Arkin, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume59
Issue1
Pages119-146
Publication date2026-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueIranian Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-0862 • E-ISSN: 1475-4819
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/irn.2025.10130
OpenAlexW7125403885
LanguageEN
References cited18

Tehran Auction, established in 2012, rose to prominence during a period of severe international sanctions, economic instability, and institutional fragility in Iran. The auction represents a turning point in the evolution of Iranian art, in which its value increasingly aligns with luxury goods, a change that reflects a broader semi-neoliberal transformation in Iranian cultural policy. To analyze this shift, this article draws on concepts such as symbolic capital (Bourdieu), institutional theory (Dickie), and aesthetic politics (Rancière) to trace how market pricing mechanisms shape artistic legitimacy in Iran. Particular reference is made to paintings by Sohrab Sepehri, which have achieved the highest sales in the history of Tehran Auction. It is argued that his paintings function as markers of status, enhancing collectors’ cultural capital. This phenomenon mirrors the role of luxury brands in Tehran, where material possessions signal social distinction

Capital (architecture · Function (biology · Legitimacy · Painting · Period (music · Perspective (graphical · Phenomenon · Politics · TRACE (psycholinguistics) · Value (mathematics · Art History and Market Analysis · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Islamic Studies and History

Tools

Open DOI