Epic Iran

V&A | LONDON
Open 29 May - 12 September 2021

Epic Iran is the UK’s first major exhibition on Iranian art and culture in more than 90 years. The V&A has brought together 300 objects from ancient, Islamic and contemporary Iran. The exhibition features ten sections, that transport visitors to a city, complete with gatehouse, gardens, palace, and library.

OUR ROLE

Greenway Associates were the appointed as Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor for this exhibition. Liam McFaul was our lead on this project, who said:

“Working on the Iran exhibition was a great privilege, not only because of the highly respected curators involved, but because we had the chance to integrate some incredible objects, such as the Cyrus cylinder. Not to reveal too much, but you will immediately realise one of my favourite elements of the show, by simply looking up in one of the galleries! “

- Liam McFaul

THE EXHIBITION

The section Emerging Iran shows that even before the rise of the Persian Empire, Iran's rich civilisation rivalled those of Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Persian Empire section, starting in 550 BC with Cyrus the Great, includes archaeological finds including the famous Cyrus Cylinder - on loan from the British Museum.

The section Land of Iran introduces imagery of the country's dramatic landscapes – all of which have shaped the country's social, economic and political history.  The Last of the Ancient Empires section covers a period of change, with Alexander the Great overthrowing the Persian Empire in 331 BC.

The Book of Kings, is devoted to the prelude of Islamic Iran, as understood through the Book of Kings, the world's greatest epic poem. Change of Faith explores the place of Islam and the role of the Arabic language in Iranian culture, after the Arab conquest.

Literary Excellence reveals how – from the tenth century AD – Persian written in the Arabic script emerged as a literary language in the royal courts of eastern Iran.

Royal Patronage demonstrates how Iranian traditions of kingship were reborn after Islam, with the return of royal customs and the creation of lavish art. The Old and the New explores how the Qajar dynasty sought to scope out new relationships with Europe and the introduction of photography into Iran.

The final section Modern and Contemporary Iran covers a period of dynamic social and political change in Iran, the Islamic Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, and the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

WHAT THE PRESS SAY

★★★★★
”Persepolis and Isfahan are dazzlingly brought to life in a blockbuster show that explores five jaw-dropping millennia of cultural history, from soaring domes to charging horses. Epic Iran shows there is a cultural history that connects the country as it is today with the people who lived here five millennia ago. To put this in perspective, that’s like telling the story of Britain from before Stonehenge to the present and hoping it all connects up somehow. But in Iran, it does.”

- The Guardian

THE DETAILS

Client: V&A
Designer: Gort Scott
Project Manager: Greenway Associates
Quantity Surveyor: Greenway Associates
Status: Completed 2021