200+ Artists Across Iran Unite in Global Artist Relief Initiative

Continuum brings together 500+ original artworks, 200+ artists and galleries across Iran to support artists and expand their international visibility.

NEW YORK , NY, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran, an international nonprofit cultural initiative presented by Duran Art Projects, is bringing together more than 500 original artworks by over 200 emerging and established contemporary artists living and working across Iran.

Conceived in direct response to the recent conflict affecting Iran, Continuum was created to ensure that at a moment of profound disruption, artists inside the country remain visible, connected and supported through their work.

Developed over five months by curators working inside Iran, the initiative grew through collaboration between participating galleries across the country and an international network of galleries, institutions, curators and cultural partners across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, France, Germany and India.

Participating galleries across Iran have voluntarily waived their commissions, ensuring that 100% of artwork sale proceeds directly benefit the participating artists. Rather than bypassing existing artistic relationships, Continuum works with them, creating a model of support that strengthens the country's cultural ecosystem while expanding international access to artists living and creating inside Iran.

The initiative was born from a simple question: what could the arts community collectively do to support artists whose livelihoods and opportunities had been profoundly disrupted by conflict?

“When the conflict began, the first question we asked ourselves was simple: what could we do for the artists?” said Dario Duran, Founder of Duran Art Projects and Chief Curator of Continuum. “That question became Continuum. What began as an immediate response grew into a remarkable collaboration between artists, galleries and cultural partners committed to ensuring that artists working inside Iran remain visible, connected and supported through their work.”

While conceived in response to conflict, Continuum is not an exhibition about conflict. It is a presentation of contemporary artistic practice as it exists inside Iran today, bringing together a wide range of approaches, generations and artistic voices—many of which have had limited opportunities to reach international audiences.

The initiative also seeks to challenge reductive understandings of contemporary Iranian art by creating direct encounters with the breadth and plurality of artistic practice developing across the country.

“Continuum is a testament to what becomes possible when an artistic community chooses collaboration over isolation,” said Senior Curator Mariam Rasti. “Every participating artist, gallery and international partner has contributed to building something that extends well beyond this moment.”

By introducing participating artists to new audiences, collections, institutions and future opportunities, Continuum seeks to strengthen the long-term international visibility of contemporary Iranian art while demonstrating how cultural collaboration can endure through periods of profound uncertainty.

Artworks presented through Continuum are available across accessible price points, creating opportunities for international audiences to directly support artists while discovering contemporary practices emerging from inside Iran.

About Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran

Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran is an international nonprofit cultural initiative presented by Duran Art Projects. Bringing together more than 500 original artworks by over 200 contemporary artists living and working across Iran, the initiative was conceived in response to the recent conflict affecting Iran and developed through collaboration between participating galleries across the country and an international network of cultural partners. Participating galleries have voluntarily waived their commissions, ensuring that 100% of artwork sale proceeds benefit participating artists.

Media Contact
Dario Duran
Chief Curator & Founder
Duran Art Projects Inc.
dario@duranartprojects.com
IranArtistRelief.org

Dario Duran
Duran Art Projects Inc.
info@duranartprojects.com
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