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From Art Basel:

Meet Dastan’s Basement – Trailblazing gallerist Hormoz Hematian explains why Tehran is the perfect place to open a gallery.

‘The willingness of the community is what has made all this possible. It couldn’t have happened without the help of others.’—Hormoz Hematian, Founder and Director of Dastan’s Basement

Hormoz Hematian has a mission: nurture the Tehran art scene and its burgeoning audiences. The young gallerist has embraced the full range of opportunities afforded by the Iranian capital, often curating shows in unusual locations including car parks and shopping malls. His gallery, Dastan’s Basement, currently operates out of four locations, each with a different focus: ranging from digital art at V-Gallery to small-scale experimental projects at Electric Room.

For the Insights sector of Art Basel in Hong Kong, Dastan’s Basement will present an immersive installation of paintings and sculptures by the Tehran and Amsterdam-based artist Sam Samiee. In this exclusive interview, Hematian discusses what he calls cultural life ‘the Iranian way.’

Museums

Sponsor
8:04

MUSEUMS: Sarah Oppenheimer: Sensitive Machine

5:24

MUSEUMS: For Walter J. Hood, Architecture Means Power

4:28

MUSEUMS: Fabric Workshop and Museum Explores Clay and Fabric

8:08

MUSEUMS: Julie Mehretu Behind-the-Scenes With Checkerboard Films

2:09

MUSEUMS: Alice Neel Paints Life “Hot off the Griddle”

Galleries

5:24

GALLERIES: Alec Soth Takes the Measure of Photography

6:09

GALLERIES: Pablo Picasso: Seven Decades of Drawing

3:41

GALLERIES: For Landon Metz, Failure is an Option

4:17

GALLERIES: Jacob El Hanani Is a Line-Maker

1:09:20

LONGFORM: Sheila Hicks Reflects From Home in Paris

Studios

1:53

VAULT: Philip Guston Biopic Trailer (1981)

3:32

STUDIOS: Joep van Lieshout on Going Beyond Beautiful Design

5:02

STUDIOS: Peter Beard: “Nature is the best thing we’ve got”

10:34

STUDIOS: Ursula von Rydingsvard’s Material Instinct (2000)

3:00

STUDIOS: Billy Childish Gets Out of the Way of the Picture

Community

36:17

PODCAST: ‘Barbara London Calling’ Launches Season 2

Sponsor
47:07

LONGFORM: Hughie O’Donoghue in Conversation with Charles Saumarez Smith

3:31

COMMUNITY: William Eric Brown Applies New Processes to Old

58:08

PODCAST: Heidi Zuckerman in Conversation with Adam Pendleton

22:57

LONGFORM: ‘To Cast Too Bold a Shadow’ Exhibition Walkthrough

Market

3:39

MARKET: For Kimsooja, Immaterial Art Achieves Memory

15:35

MARKET: How Christie’s and Sotheby’s Dominate the Art Market

3:00

MARKET: Ghada Amer on Being a Woman Artist

4:37

MARKET: Catherine Petitgas is an Enabler

2:34

MARKET: Kunsthalle Basel Is of Its Time