Independent Artists Group (Persian: گروه هنرمندان آزاد)[1] was an Iranian art group, active from October 1974 until 1977.
[2] It consisted of seven artist, including Marcos Grigorian, Gholamhossein Nami, Massoud Arabshahi, Morteza Momayez, Faramarz Pilaram, Sirak Melkonian, and Mir Abdolreza Daryabeigi.
According to Gholamhossein Nami, "Marcos Grigorian proposed the initial idea for the group's formation, with Morteza Momayez and Nami being the first members to join.
[6] These seven artists decided to take a response to the copying of artworks in the name of modern art, therefore by developing a bylaw and setting goals, they decided to present the newest aspects of modernism in the world in a principled manner.
Shortly after the Iranian Revolution and the social and political transformations it generated, the general direction of art in Iran shifted, and contemporary art was unable to develop further into a flourishing, nationwide movement.