Parviz Tanavoli's Passport Seized at Imam Khomeini Airport

On Sunday, July 4, the Shargh newspaper reported the seizure of Parviz Tanavoli's passport, a well-known Iranian sculptor and painter, at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran. Mr. Tanavoli stated in an interview with Shargh that he realized he was banned from leaving the country at the airport, adding, "I was told that my exit ban is not related to political issues and seems to be due to a personal complaint." He emphasized that at the airport, "I was told I could not leave and was not given any further reasons or information." Mr. Tanavoli mentioned that he was advised to refer to the passport office to follow up on the matter. The 79-year-old Tanavoli is internationally recognized as one of Iran's prominent sculptors. He recently protested the potential removal of the painting discipline from Iranian art schools. Mr. Tanavoli has a dispute with the municipality over the ownership of 11 of his sculptures. He is well-known outside Iran and was scheduled to travel early Saturday to participate in the unveiling of his latest book at the British Museum in London. The book, titled "Western Women in Iranian Homes," published in English, has invited 250 guests from various parts of the world, including the USA, UK, and France. Regarding another event planned for him in London, Tanavoli told Shargh, "I was supposed to participate in the Asia Society, but given my exit ban, it is unclear if I will be able to attend this program as well. Some of my works on the theme of lions will be displayed at this society." Tanavoli is a pioneer of the Saqqakhaneh school, which plays a significant role in popular culture; an approach influenced by pop art that emerged in Iran in the 1960s. One of his works, titled "Persepolis," broke records at a Christie's auction in Dubai, and another piece called "Nothing" has been exhibited in various museums worldwide, including the British Museum. In March 2013, cultural and artistic agents from the Tehran municipality entered Tanavoli's home with a "court order" and removed 11 of his sculptures over ownership disputes. A video of this action shows that some of these works were damaged during the transfer, as one of them fell to the ground after being released from the crane's rope. This incident dates back to a long-standing dispute between the Tehran municipality and Parviz Tanavoli, which began in 2003 during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's management of the municipality. At that time, the Tehran municipality announced that it would not accept Tanavoli's plan to convert his home into a museum to display his works, despite a signed agreement between the parties. In June 2014, Tanavoli wrote an open letter to Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, describing the municipality's intrusion into his home as "brutal" and asking Rouhani for assistance in reclaiming his works from the Tehran municipality. In this open letter, published by the ISNA news agency, he stated that the Tehran municipality has taken 57 pieces of his works from his home over the years and has not returned them.