The Exhibition “This Image Remains”: A Narrative of 200 Years of Photography at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
The exhibition “This Image Remains,” featuring a selection from the photography collection of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and presenting a narrative of 200 years of photographic history, opened on Saturday evening, August 15, 2026, at the museum. Through a collection of historical photographs and albums, the exhibition traces aspects of the evolution of photography and its connections with history, culture, and visual diplomacy.
The exhibition was inaugurated in the presence of a number of national officials and cultural, artistic, and diplomatic figures. A representative of Iran’s National Commission for UNESCO also attended the ceremony.
One of the highlights of the exhibition “This Image Remains” is the unveiling of six rare historical albums dating back to the 19th century, which are being presented to the public for the first time. Featuring images from the Qajar period, Japan, and the Ottoman Empire, these albums offer a glimpse into the history of photography and the cultural and political connections of the era, while recounting Iranians’ first encounters with the art of photography and the emergence of “visual diplomacy.”
The works presented at the exhibition range from some of the earliest examples of photography to contemporary photo-based artworks, highlighting lesser-known aspects of the photography collection of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. Beyond their artistic value, these works form part of the visual memory and documentary record of contemporary history, offering an opportunity to revisit the social, cultural, and artistic transformations of the past two centuries.
The exhibition offers an opportunity to revisit the importance of photography in documenting and transmitting historical and cultural memory, as well as the role of images in fostering connections between nations and cultures. This potential can be harnessed to promote cultural dialogue and present Iran’s photographic heritage at both the national and international levels.
It is worth noting that the ceremony was attended by Mehdi Shafiei, Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance for Artistic Affairs; Majid Takht-Ravanchi, diplomat and Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs; Ahmad Masjed-Jamei, Deputy Director of the Great Islamic Encyclopedia Center; Raed Faridzadeh, Head of the Cinema Organization; Leila Khosravi, Director-General of Museum Affairs; and Jebrael Nokandeh, Director of the National Museum of Iran.
