Tannavoli's Travel Ban; "The Plaintiff is the Police, Accusation of Spreading False Information"

Parviz Tannavoli, the Iranian sculptor who has recently been banned from leaving the country, stated that he learned about the ban after visiting the court, where he discovered that the plaintiff in his case is the police. He has been accused of 'spreading false information and disturbing public opinion.' Mr. Tannavoli told ILNA news agency on Sunday that the accusations against him are based on 'a series of works he has done so far' and added that the court has deemed these accusations valid, stating that the sculptures he has created are 'examples of disturbing public opinion and spreading false information.' Parviz Tannavoli, 79, is a well-known Iranian sculptor internationally. He became aware of his travel ban at the airport. Recently, he had protested the potential removal of the painting discipline from art schools in Iran. Mr. Tannavoli has a dispute with the municipality over the ownership of 11 of his sculptures. According to this Iranian sculptor, the collection of works displayed at the Niavaran Palace Museum, including a recent exhibition titled 'Tannavoli and 50 Years of Pop Art,' and the sculptures he keeps in his personal collection are among the items mentioned in this case. He also pointed out that previously, the Kayhan newspaper had made 'baseless' accusations regarding some of his works at the Niavaran Palace Museum, and the Ministry of Culture had requested information about the 'Saqakhaneh School' sculptures, which have a 'religious' theme. He mentioned that he has not received any summons and was unaware of the charges until he appeared in court. The Shargh newspaper reported last Sunday, July 13, that Parviz Tannavoli's passport was confiscated at Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran when he was attempting to leave the country. Mr. Tannavoli told Shargh that he learned of his travel ban at the airport and was informed that it 'is not related to political issues and seems to be a personal complaint.' This prominent Iranian artist was scheduled to travel to London on Saturday, July 12, to attend the unveiling of his latest book at the British Museum. Tannavoli is a pioneer of the Saqakhaneh School, which emphasizes 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 named 'Nothing' has been exhibited in various museums worldwide, including the British Museum. Earlier, in March 2014, agents from the Cultural and Artistic Organization of Tehran Municipality entered Parviz Tannavoli's home with a 'court order' and removed 11 of his sculptures over ownership disputes. In June 2014, Mr. Tannavoli wrote a letter to Hassan Rouhani, asking for assistance in reclaiming his works from the Tehran Municipality, stating that the municipality had taken 57 pieces of his works from his home years ago and had not returned them.