Parviz Tanavali is one of the most respected Iranian Artists and probably the last living legend in the rather empty hall of fame of Iranian Sculptors. A few Month ago one of his sculptures titled “ْGrowth” (رويش in Farsi) was removed from Iranian embassy’s front-yard in Paris and then destroyed. (News Source in Farsi) To me, as well as many, these tragedies are unbearable especially in this time of artistic depression in Iran.

I think to myself what did the embassy workers thought when they were removing the sculpture. They probably thought to themselves that it’s just a piece of decoration. Interestingly these people think of a religious object as sacred and would not touch it without washing their hands and faces (the practice of Vozu in Islam) first.