The photographer and filmmaker examines society, gender, violence, and beauty through a dual Iranian-American lens [...] In this episode of ‘Meet the artists,’ Neshat reflects on art, identity, and political discourse, highlighting the complexities of her hybrid existence between her Iranian roots and Western life. ‘There’s this constant duality in me, in the way I live, the way I look, and the way my work is informed,’ she shares.

Shirin Neshat (born March 26, 1957, Qazvīn, Iran) is an Iranian-born American artist whose photography, video, and feature films investigate how women find freedom in repressive societies. About her work, Neshat stated: “Everything I’ve done is a celebration of the power of women. The Western world sometimes views Iranian women as victims, and while they’ve been continuously oppressed by religion and difficult political situations, they’ve always fought back. They’ve always broken rules.”

Dressed in a chador and holding the barrel of a gun in front of her face, a woman looks at us. It is defiant, determined, militant, courageous. The title of the work, "rebellious silence", evokes her quiet sense of power. Her steadfast gaze suggests conviction and trust. On its face, in handwritten Farsi, is a poem that focuses on feminism about the law enacted during the 1979 Iranian revolution that still today requires all Iranian women to wear veils in public. . "The written text is the voice of the photograph", said artist Shirin Neshat. "This breaks the silence of the quiet woman." [...] While Neshat's series is rooted in the women associated with the 1979 revolution, their gaze evokes the determination of today's female protesters. The fact that the work has been banned by Iran highlights the country's conservatism.

Shirin Neshat, an Iranian-American filmmaker, is known for her politically charged work that delves into the intricate issues of gender and cultural identity in the Middle East. Her acclaimed film Women Without Men tells the story of four women in 1950s Iran, against the backdrop of the 1953 coup that toppled the democratically elected government. Through its poetic imagery and layered narrative, the film offers a nuanced critique of the patriarchal and authoritarian forces that shape the lives of women in the region.

International filmmakers are calling for solidarity with Mohammad Rasoulof and persecuted filmmakers in Iran in an open letter, shared with Variety. Rasoulof – about to screen his latest film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" in Cannes' main competition – was sentenced to imprisonment and torture by the Islamic Republic of Iran. He fled the country. "We condemn the inhumane treatment of Rasoulof and numerous other independent artists in Iran, who are being severely punished, criminalized and silenced for exercising their artistic freedom," it was stated in the letter, already signed by "Holy Spider" star Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Fatih Akin, Atom Egoyan, Ildiko Enyedi, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Laura Poitras, Sandra Hüller, Sean Baker, Payal Kapadia, Ariane Labed and Shirin Neshat.

"The Fury" is an exhibition of the most recent work by Iranian visual artist and photographer Shirin Neshat. Shot in New York in June of 2022, The Fury comprises a double-channel video installation, a VR experience, and a series of black and white photographs. These multidimensional bodies of work continue upon her incisive artmaking practice that focuses on the female body as both a battleground for ideology and a source of strength. By questioning and drawing attention to the relationship between the masculine and feminine, the individual and the collective, these highly charged images address issues of power within patriarchal societies. In a highly fictionalized and stylized way, Neshat’s new video installation addresses the sexual exploitation of women as political prisoners. Can be seen Galleri F 15, Moss | 22 June – 13 October 2024.

On Wednesday, April 10, photographers, artists, business leaders, philanthropists, fans andfriends of the International Center of Photography (ICP) gathered at The Shed for a sold out event to celebrate five pioneering women for their creativity, leadership and contributions to photography as an art and a discipline. ICP’s 40th Annual Infinity Awards, sponsored by HEARST and Kering, honored Lynsey Addario, Renell Medrano, Shirin Neshat, Wendy Red Star, and Caryl S. Englander–the first time ICP’s Infinity Awards has awarded five women for their achievements. [...] During the event, each awardee was accompanied by a short film, telling the powerful and often personal story of their journey in photography.

Shirin Neshat's exhibition "The Fury" is on show at Dirimart (Istanbul) from March 14 to April 7, 2024. Shirin Neshat's photographs and video installations explore the cultural issues of her native country Iran with a particular emphasis on the experience of women. Growing up in a westernized, upper middle-class family in Iran, Neshat left Iran to study art in Los Angeles in 1974, just before the Iran Islamic Revolution; she did not return until 1990. She began making art about the collision of western and eastern ideologies, which had profoundly impacted her and her family's lives. Neshat's work examines the physical, emotional, and cultural implications of veiled women in Iran with written words taken from religious texts.

Award-winning artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat returns to Asia Society for the screening of Land of Dreams. Described by the filmmaker as one of her most personal works so far (Variety Magazine), the film follows Simin, an Iranian immigrant who works for the United States Census Bureau, on a journey to record citizens' dreams. The film was directed by Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari, and stars Sheila Vand, Matt Dillon, William Moseley, Isabella Rossellini, and Anna Gunn, among many others. The film will be shown on March 19 during Asia Week 2024, and will be followed by a discussion with the artist.

Throughout her artistic career, the renowned Iranian artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat has repeatedly explored the female body. Her work is a contested space in which themes such as sin, shame, violence, oppression, rebellion, power and protest play a role. "The Fury" (which will be presented at Fotografiska Berlin from 08/03/2024 to 09/06/2024) is a sophisticated combination of a dual-channel video installation and a series of black and white photographs with hand-lettered calligraphy of poems by Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad. These nuanced works reflect Neshat's incisive artistic practice, which centres on the female body as both a battleground for ideology and a reservoir of power. Exploring the dynamics between the masculine and the feminine, the individual and the collective, these charged images grapple with issues of power in patriarchal societies.

Series two of the Frieze Master Podcasts brings you eight conversations between leading artists, writers, museum directors and curators that reflect the ethos of the Frieze Masters fair: looking at the past with a contemporary gaze. Including Shirin Neshat.