This was the first exhibition in Britain (Barbican, London, 2001) to examine the development of Iranian art in the 20 years before and after the Islamic Revolution of 1977. Curated by Rose Issa, it featured over 50 works from 20 different artists, bringing together for the first time works from the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.

The exhibition, supported by Visiting Arts, played an important role in introducing British audiences to the scope and quality of recent art from Iran.

Visiting Arts' role in supporting the exhibition was part of an ongoing relationship with Iran established in 2000 when our then Assistant Director (Visual, Media & Applied Arts) Camilla Canellis visited Tehran to meet artists and cultural professionals operating in the visual arts sector in Iran. The objective of the visit was to explore opportunities for future collaboration between Britain and Iran in the visual arts, and supporting the Borrowed Ware was a direct outcome of the visit.

To further Iran and UK relationships in the visual arts Visiting Arts led a curators' visit to Tehran in 2001. Curators on the visit included:

• Iwona Blazwick, director, Whitechapel Gallery, London

• Emma Anderson, curator, The Lowry, Salford

• Dr Oliver Watson, chief curator, Middle Eastern Section, Asian Department, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

• Ms Katya Garcia-Anton, curator, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham / director of Centre d’Art Contemporaire, Geneve, Switzerland

• Graeme Murray, director, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh

• Graham McKenzie, director, CCA, Glasgow

Image: by Shadafarin Ghadirian (Iran). Part of the exhibition Borrowed Ware. Courtesy: Rose Issa, London

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