“Persian Visions: Contemporary Photography from Iran”, 2004

Hamid Severi and Gary Hallman

In 2001, when Iran was enjoying a “Prague Spring” under President Mohammad Khatami, I accepted an invitation by Dr. Ali Raza Sami-Azar, the reform minded director of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, to exhibit my work in Tehran and be hosted for a visit by the Museum. Among the many pleasures of the visit, one was meeting Dr. Sami-Azar and discovering our mutual interest in organizing an exchange project of Iranian and American photography between our two countries. The project, developed over the following two years, included a return visit in 2003 to work as co-curator with the museum curator, Mr. Hamid Severi. The resulting exhibition of twenty Iranian photographers titled “Persian Visions: Contemporary Iranian Photography”, opened at the Nash Gallery in Minneapolis in 2005, and toured the United States under the auspices of Arts and Artists International, in Washington, D.C. An exhibition of twenty American photographers, “Manifestations of Contemporary Art”, was shown at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in the fall of 2007.

Catalog cover: Persian Visions: Contemporary Photography from Iran

Visiting with Dr. Ali Reza Sami Azar, Director Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art

Gary and Mary Hallman with Hamid Severi at “Persian Visions” opening, Nash Gallery, Regis Center for Art

Self Portrait with Bahman Jalali in his home, Tehran 2003

Sadegh Tirafikan in his studio, Tehran, 2003

“Persian Vision”, South East Museum of Photography, Spring 2008

“Persian Vision”, South East Museum of Photography, Spring 2008

“Persian Vision”, South East Museum of Photography, Spring 2008