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Tehran: restyling the “Superintendents’ Office” of the Italian Residence

Teheran, restyling “Ufficio dei soprintendenti” della Residenza italiana
Teheran, restyling “Ufficio dei soprintendenti” della Residenza italiana

After a major restyling of some of the most significant works in its collection, the Italian Embassy in Tehran has inaugurated the new spaces of the “Superintendents’ Office”, which is part of the complex of buildings from the Qajar era that make up the Italian Residence in the Iranian capital.

“The Superintendents’ Office”, commented the Italian Ambassador to Iran, Giuseppe Perrone, “recounts the deep ties between our two peoples in the fields of design, architecture and cinema through images and multimedia tools; through the display of highly valuable pieces, it enhances the respective historical and artistic heritages, the fruit of millenary traditions; it provides a multi-functional space where the Embassy can host exhibitions, concerts and cultural events”.

In the centre of the Superintendents’ Office, which is located in front of the “Harem” and intended for the reception of external guests, is the imposing brass and glass “Peacock” chandelier designed by Gio Ponti in the early 1960s for the Villa Namazee in Tehran. Embellishing the furnishings of the great hall are two very rare antique Persian carpets from the Embassy’s collection and a very fine tapestry painted with grass-juice, believed to be a model for the “Triumph of Venus” tapestry from the “Triumph of the Gods” series, made by the Gobelins manufactory in the late 17th century, illuminated by a Ptolemy lamp by Artemide.

The rooms also display period photographs of the film “Arabian Nights”, filmed in part in Isfahan by Pasolini in 1973, which were presented in the exhibition of the same name that closed a few months ago at Argo Factory in Tehran; some stills from scenes in the docu-film “Radiograph of a Family”, filmed by Firouzeh Khosrovani in the “Superintendents’ Office”; and historical photographs of Villa Namazee from the Ponti Archives in Milan. The inauguration of the room, which took place in the presence of local architects, designers and artists, provided an opportunity to celebrate Italian creativity on the occasion of the 7th Italian Design Day.

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