Lili Golestan (born 14 July, 1944, in Tehran) is an Iranian translator, and owner and artistic director of the Golestan Gallery in Tehran.
She is the daughter of filmmaker and writer Ebrahim Golestan. She was exposed to literature and art from an early age, being able to interact closely with up and coming personalities from the period. In the following interview, she tells us how she found success as owner and artistic director of one of the first art galleries in Tehran.
We have Theatre House, Cinema House and Music House. But we don’t have an Art House. Are artists to blame?
The contemporary art society is different from the cinematic society, in that we help each other. If I have an artwork or a painting that has no buyer, I call other galleries and ask them to sell it for me. We take care of each other, although more needs to be done. If we establish union, we could have board of directors and headquarters - what you call Art House. We could discuss issues and they could help resolve them.
Christie’s vs. Tehran Auction. What are your thoughts?
Tehran Auction is a national drive to fulfill the increasing interest in modern and contemporary Iranian art and to facilitate the acquisition of the best artistic talents. Seven Visions, and 100 Artworks, 100 Artists have their own audiences and personalities as well. It’s a flourishing contemporary market. Tehran Auction is much more important than the rest, jockeying to be among the big auctions in the region. I always asked this question ‘how come other countries have art auctions and we don’t?’ Now that we have one, everyone should do his or her bit to help. Those with modern, contemporary artworks should come to Tehran Auction and help us turn it into an international event.
Your indication is that Tehran Auction is not a rival for art galleries?
I don’t think so. No art auction can compete with galleries. Quite the contrary, it could help us tap into our cultural heritage and grow. When there is a lot of buzz around modern art, it’s good for business. We will see more collectors and certainly higher sales.
You work hard in the gallery. Almost one exhibition every week!
I have an iron curtain wrapped around me. I work hard and play hard. Many think I’m grumpy. But this forces others to take me and my works seriously. It’s important for me to be punctual. Many are used to it now. They no longer see me as grumpy. I inaugurated the gallery with an exhibition of paintings by our celebrated artist and poet Sohrab Sepehri, followed by Nasrollah Kasraeian.
Before opening the gallery did you have any idea about the art business?
As a kid I used to visit galleries with my parents. I can remember the Seyhoun and Brogues galleries. The opening nights were always overcrowded. I could see different personalities, from art collectors and writers to poets, expats and etc. Today’s personalities are different. They are mostly students and ordinary people. We have now focused our market on them.
How was the art business back then?
People used to buy and sell painting, even my father did that. It was of course less expensive than now. Business was good as interest in Iranian art was strong, despite the fact that there were only a handful of galleries in the capital. In the crowd I could always see professional collectors. They talked about art, painting and exhibition.
What was the first painting you ever bought?
It was a piece by Parvaneh Etemadi. I bought it from the Seyhoun Gallery in 1976. She was a young artist at the time. I didn’t know her.
How important is it to have face-to-face interaction with customers and collectors?
Building trust is much more important than anything else in the art world. You should never see yourself as a sale consultant selling art at a predatory art gallery. You could make a fortune but that has to come through the right channel. You need to build trust between your customers and artists. If it’s instalment buying, you should trust your customers. I always pay artists in advance to win their trust. I let them know who has purchased their works. They have the right to know.
How do you choose artists?
It’s difficult and time-consuming. I watch at least 50 CD ROMs a week to pick the top works. I choose half of them. This way I can sell some at 100 Artworks, 100 Artists or at Seven Visions. After that, I hold solo exhibitions for them.
What about the time when there was no CD ROMs to watch?
I had to see the works in their places of residence. I used to drive a lot and go to different neighbourhoods. Some of them were poor. I had to take care of them. They were always a priority when taking orders.
You had some successful artists working with you but are not around anymore. How does that feel?
It doesn’t feel bad. They started with me and they are now doing it on their own, which is fine with me. We are still friends. I still buy their works from other galleries. I never feel like I owned them.
Have you held international exhibitions?
I only work in Iran. I help young artists who want to work abroad. We have a lot to do over here and it’s better for us to stay and work.
Your best project has to be the 100 Artworks, 100 Artists exhibition. Where did that idea come from?
At the end of summer many businesses and shops are closed for the holiday season. Many expatriates prefer to visit Iran at this particular time. My house is close to the gallery. When closed, they used to buzz me out to buy art. This happened every year. So I decided to organize a group exhibition for everyone. 100 Artworks is now 250 artworks exhibition. It has exceeded our expectations.
How do you compare art galleries in Iran with those abroad?
We are doing fine. There are many rules and regulations abroad, and of course more sales than here. Gallery ownership is a prestigious profession everywhere. If you have a number of celebrated personalities working with you, you can make it big in the art market. But it’s not easy. There are many privately owned for-profit commercial galleries and a growing art market in Iran. What we need are great national and international events to match.
Translation by Bobby Naderi