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On February 28, 2026, at 9:30 in the morning, the Pejman Foundation suspended the public operations of its main contemporary art venue, the Argo Factory in Tehran, after a fighter jet passed overhead and an explosion shook the Iranian capital. The sudden closure marked the beginning of a 40-day shutdown driven by compounding pressures from wartime conditions, state restrictions, and economic collapse.
Wartime Realities and the Decision to Close
According to Hamidreza Pejman, founder and director of the non-profit contemporary art foundation, the morning of February 28 left no room for institutional debate. Operating since 2015, the foundation had previously relied on internal arguments over budgets, exhibition schedules, and curatorial choices as indicators of a healthy organization. Those discussions evaporated when active military conflict reached the city.
“That morning came, the sound of a fighter jet over your head, and human life suddenly became the only thing on the table,” Pejman said in an interview with Manchester-based artist Parham Ghalamdar for the upcoming summer issue of Middle East Report. “Disagreement is a luxury. It belongs to someone who has several paths. We had one path.”
The closure follows a period of heavy domestic unrest in December 2025, which Pejman described as a symptom of accumulated inequality rather than the isolated trigger for the gallery’s operational crisis. While public demonstrations signaled deep social fractures, the subsequent intensification of state security measures and external military pressure compressed the foundation’s ability to maintain a public venue.
Regulatory Pressure During a Ceasefire
Although active airstrikes presented an immediate danger, institutional vulnerabilities persisted even during lulls in the fighting. In April 2026, during a brief ceasefire, Argo Factory attempted to run public events through its in-house film screening initiative, the Cinematheque, which had entered its third year of operation.
Despite the temporary halt in military hostilities, an unidentified state institution shut down the film screenings under the pretext of missing permits. Pejman noted that the incident highlighted how state-level restrictions and bureaucratic crackdowns operated independently of wartime conditions, posing a constant barrier to cultural programming.
Strains from the Diaspora and the Economy
The foundation also faces sharp ideological friction from outside Iran. Pejman pointed to intense hostility from parts of the Iranian diaspora and opposition groups that object to cultural institutions continuing to function under the supervision of the current government. According to Pejman, some external factions favor an unlivable, scorched-land scenario to validate political arguments, leaving independent institutions caught between domestic regime oversight and external opposition hostility.
Beyond political and military pressures, the foundation contends with severe financial erosion. Plummeting marketing budgets, departing sponsors, and soaring operational costs have drained the non-profit’s resources. Paying staff salaries and maintaining basic building overhead has superseded ambitious curatorial programming, creating a mathematical threshold where basic survival replaces cultural production.
A Shift in Institutional Form
Rather than dissolving entirely, the Argo Factory remains active behind closed doors. Pejman stated that the “closed until further notice” notice on the foundation’s website represents a tactical shift in form rather than a complete retreat.
By halting public foot traffic, the foundation aims to protect staff and visitors from physical and legal risks while preserving its underlying networks. Staff members continue to monitor conditions, maintain communication lines, and prepare for future continuity as the institution attempts to weather the overlapping crises of war, regulation, and economic decline.
