TEHRAN — Historical photography, contemporary professional developments and the legacy of Iranian press cartooning feature prominently in the latest visual arts program in Tehran, including a study of six Qajar-era photo albums held by the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.
A discussion titled “Six Historical Albums from the Collection of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art” was held at the museum’s library alongside the exhibition This Face Remains. 
Researchers examined the albums not simply as collections of historic photographs, but as visual documents that offer insights into Iran’s social and cultural history and its relations with the wider world during the Qajar period.
Architect and researcher Babak Mofidi, who chaired the session, stated that an album should be studied as a historical whole rather than through individual photographs alone. The sequence of images, the process of selection and compilation, the identity of the collector, the date of assembly and the route by which an album reached Iran can all contribute to its historical meaning.
Researcher Reza Sheikh focused on the methodology of studying photographic albums, noting that their material characteristics and internal organization can provide information about social class, taste and changing approaches to photography. He described the album itself as part of the history of photography rather than merely a container for photographs.
Contemporary Iranian historian Amin Aryan-Rad examined photographs of Iranian students sent to France during the Qajar 

period. The images were considered in the context of Iran’s efforts to send students to Europe to study medicine, military sciences, engineering, diplomacy and other emerging fields of modern knowledge.
Historian Dariush Rahmanian, editor of Mardomnameh magazine, introduced the concept of “visual history,” arguing for the use of images as historical sources. Comparisons between Ottoman and Japanese albums raised questions about the circulation of foreign images in Iran and their possible role in shaping Iranian perceptions of the wider world.
Elsewhere in Tehran’s visual arts scene, the Iranian Photographers Association has opened membership applications for 2026. Photographers can apply through the association’s website between September 20 and October 7, while existing associate members can also apply to upgrade their membership status.
Meanwhile, the group exhibition “Side Effect” will bring together works by 10 Iranian press cartoonists at Artibition Gallery from September 25 to October 9. The exhibition examines the artistic significance of press cartooning alongside its role as a media form.
The participating artists include Kambiz Derambakhsh, Ardeshir Mohassess, Davood Shahidi, Ahmad Arabani, Parviz Shapour, Bahman Rezaei, Hadi Heidari, Jamal Rahmati, Laleh Ziaei and Ehsan Ganji.
The exhibition traces the development of Iranian press cartooning across roughly seven decades, from publications such as Baba Shamal and Tufigh to Gol Aqa and later newspaper and magazine platforms. It presents press cartoonists as visual interpreters of their social, political, cultural and economic environment, highlighting the position of the medium at the intersection of art and journalism.