Magic of Persia's second Dubai auction raises $555,500 for charity, and prize finalists announced

Building on the success of the first auction, and in spite of the current financial climate, all works were sold and the total will benefit the Omid E Mehr Charitable Foundation , The Future Centre for Special Needs amongst other projects.

Jussi Pylkkanen, President of Christie's Middle East and Europe, and the auctioneer for the event sold all 50 lots.

Highlights of the evening included Parviz Tanavoli's Standing Heech III sculpture, which sold for $22,000, and work by Shirin Neshat and Y.Z. Kami.

Alongside these renowned names a number of artworks by upcoming artists were also auctioned, including Shadi Ghadirian's photographs from the White Square Series, which fetched $8,500 and Ramin Haerizadeh's Today's Women (30) which made $12,000, both of whom were recently featured in the Unveiled exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery.

The auction proceeds will benefit the above mentioned charities alongside Magic of Persia's art and educational initiatives, and will also contribute to the sustainability of MOPCAP, the first prize launched by Magic of Persia to globally recognise the talent of emerging Iranian artists.

Funds raised will provide several bursaries for Iranian artists to study at leading UK arts institutions.

After months of work, where over 500 images of artwork were submitted by over 130 artists across four categories: painting, photography, sculpture and new media, the Magic of Persia Contemporary Art Prize Finalists were announced.

Entry to the Prize was by nomination by a panel of 47 experts in contemporary Iranian art and culture from around the world. At the Gala, seven Finalists were announced for the by the chair of the international Jury, Sheena Wagstaff, Chief Curator of Tate Modern in London.

The MOPCAP Finalists are:

Farhad Ahrarnia
Vahid Chamani
Barbad Golshiri
Sahand Hesamiyan
Abbas Kowsari
Mahmoud Bakhshi Moakhar
Newsha Tavakolian

Sheena Wagstaff said:

"The Jury was impressed by the broad scope and sheer diversity of extraordinary new work being created by young Iranian artists. We are thrilled to know that this inaugural year of MOP CAP is the first of a long term commitment to giving prominence to the remarkable creative energy that infuses contemporary art by Iranian artists, seven of whom we have selected as Finalists."

On Sunday 12th April there was an exclusive preview of a selection of the Finalists' work at the Basement Gallery, Dubai. There will be a major exhibition of all the Finalists' works at the Royal College of Art in London from 15-17 October 2009, coinciding with the Frieze Art Fair.