A collection from the “Rainbow” series by German artist Otto Piene is currently being showcased at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.

Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting a collection of artworks by the German painter, printmaker and environmental artist, as well as the founder of the influential European postwar movement Group Zero Otto Piene.

This is the fourth time this museum hosts German artists’ artworks. But this is Piene’s first ever exhibit in the Middle East which opened at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday evening, revealing a variety of artworks ranging from paintings to light sculptures, smoke and fire paintings, and beautiful environmental “sky art.”

Sky art is a term he coined in 1969, which allowed him to use landscape and cities themselves as the focal point of his work.

Most of Piene’s works have been inspired by nature and based on the four elements of ‘light, fire, air and earth’ which points to the philosophical viewpoint of this avant-garde artist.

The first galleries of the museum is dedicated to his rainbow works and silkscreen prints. Then his other works are put on display which are the combination of grids with sources of fire (candles, gas-burners) producing smoke-traces and fire paintings, in which the paint was burnt.

One of his works in particular is said to have been specially made for Tehran exhibition. It is the light sculpture inspired by tile works of Imam Mosque which has been created from glass.

With much regret, Piene passed away in July 2014, and did not get the chance to attend the exhibition in Tehran.

He always sought a better world in his dreams and believed his most brilliant work was to light up the dark sky.

The exhibit of this German artist will be running until April 17 at the museum located on North Kargar St., next to Laleh Park.

Sources: Deutsche Welle | Farsi, Deutsche Welle, Mehr News Agency