Berlin calls off show of works from Tehran art museum

Berlin’s museum authority says it has scrapped plans for an exhibition of works from the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art because Iran hasn’t granted permission for their export.

The exhibition, billed by German organizers as offering the first opportunity to see the works as a collection outside Iran since the 1979 revolution, originally was supposed to open at Berlin’s Gemaeldegalerie Dec. 4.

In November, organizers said changes at Iran’s culture ministry were causing delays.

The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which oversees Berlin public art museums, announced Tuesday that it has terminated “with great regret” its co-operation agreement with the Tehran museum.

Foundation head Hermann Parzinger said the step was necessary because Iran still hadn’t cleared the works’ export and it wasn’t possible to delay the Berlin museums’ plans any further.