Original Image: "Life of the Shadow" by Dariush Nehdaran

On Monday 14th March, 2011, the Magic of Persia Contemporary Art Prize (MOP CAP) chair judge announced the finalists of MOP CAP 2011.

The eight finalists include Niyaz Azadikhah, Shahrzad Changalvee, Mehdi Farhadian, Arash Fayez, Babak Golkar, Dariush Nehdaran, Hesam Rahmanian and Shirin Sabahi.

The selected works of the artists will be exhibited at the Royal College of Art (RCA), London in October 2011 to coincide with the Frieze Art Fair.

Once again the judges meet, this time in order to deliberate on the Prize Winner.

The Prize Winner will be awarded a solo-exhibition in an exhibition space at the Saatchi Gallery to take place in October 2012.

Magic of Persia Contemporary Art Prize is the world’s leading exhibition and art prize for emerging Iranian artists in the four distinct categories of Painting, Sculpture, Photography and New Media.