Faurschou foundation beijing is pleased to present shirin neshats the book of kings. Written between 977 and 1010 ad, the persian book of kings, is irans great national epic poem that preserves the legendary and historic past of iran before its islamic conquest in the seventh century. Here is the translation of the poem, i will greet the sun again, from neshats book. The iranian revolution marooned her stateside in 1979. Shirin neshat relates this ancient book to the arab spring and to the iranian green movement, which brought hundreds of thousands on to the streets all over iran in june 2009 in protest against the regime. Neshat made a lovely choice in her text for this image, which imbues it with layers of paradox and discovery. One depicts a group of men dressed in western suits and the. Shirin neshat is perhaps the bestknown artist of the iranian diaspora following the 1979 revolution, which replaced a secular regime with an islamic republic. Iranian screenwriter and artist, most recognized for her work, logic of the birds. Gladstone gallery specializes in modern and contemporary art with locations in new york and brussels. Interweaving history, poetry and politics, the series is set against the backdrop of the recent arab spring, and the iranian green movement, which brought hundreds of thousands onto the streets across iran in june of 2009 in protest against corrupt power. Shirin neshat national museum of women in the arts. The book of kings consists of three series of large blackandwhite portraits.
The exhibit, the book of kings, was inspired by the wave of political uprisings throughout the arab world last year, and according to the gallery, explores the underlying conditions. Its painful to say that, because neshats early work is so successful. Shirin neshat translates iranian political unrest through. Neshats new photography series the book of kings is inspired by the 60,000verse epic poem, shahnameh book of kings, by the 11th century poet ferdowsi, which chronicled the history of iran through the 7th century islamic conquest of persia. Shirin neshats rapture is an allegorical investigation into islamic laws effects on gender politics and daily life. Shirin neshats zarin ran at barbara gladstone through november 12, 2005, laurie anderson at sean kelly through october 22, and jonathan horowitz at yvon lambert through november 12.
Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the. A total of 56 black and white photographs, framed in black and unmatted, and hung in the main gallery space, the reception hallway, and a smaller side room. In 1993, after living in the united states for almost 20 years, neshat now 58 started making photographs of women with. Facing history takes a sweeping look at her output and will present her iconic blackandwhite photographic portraitswhich she discusses belowas well as her nonnarrative videos and her recent forays into cinema. The exhibit, the book of kings, was inspired by the wave of political uprisings throughout the arab world last year. Neshats simplistic, almost reductive, iconography is a ploy that evokes the essentialist nature of fundamentalism, whether religious or national. Born in qazvin, iran, she moved to california in 1974 to study art.
Shirin neshat mosaeb masses, from the book of kings. Gladstone gallery is pleased to announce our fifth exhibition with shirin neshat. Similarly, book of kings brings to the foreground neshat s continued concern with the loss of traditions that fall outside the islamist endorsements of cultural production. Her earliest work as a photographer was born out of a. Shirin neshat is a contemporary iranian visual artist best known for her work in photography, video, and film such as her 1999 film rapture,which explore the relationship between women and the religious and cultural value systems of islam. The book of kings series by shirin neshat on artnet. That earlier work, which featured a very similar stage set and was presided over by a similarly unyielding judge, presents the trial of a woman writer. Xray photographs on lightboxes, newspapers, and mixed media, dimensions variable. The renowned shahnameh or book of kings, an epic poem written in 1010 ce by the iranian poet hakim abulqasim mansur later known as. This thesis analyzes shirin neshats women of allah photographs by exploring key sociopolitical events that have shaped iranian history since the. Artist shirin neshat captures irans sharp contrasts in. Shirin neshat, panteha masses, from the book of kings series, 2012. Iranian artist shirin neshat on art, politics and changing.
These images wrest emotional, aesthetic and political freedom from the dominant patriarchal culture, whether it be the colonialist west or fundamentalist iran. Throughout most of neshats career, she has been exiled from iran, an outside observer of islamic laws. Shirin neshat, rapture, 1999, twochannel videoaudio installation, 16mm film transferred to video, the broad art foundation. Overruled, a performance directed by shirin neshat and written by her longtime collaborators shoja azari and behrang azari, harkens back to neshats 2003 video the last word. Shirin neshats book of kings captures the faces of the. New translation of persian book of kings just in time for the persian new year, theres a new english translation of the shahnameh the epic persian book of kings written over the course of. The gladstone gallery and the faurschou foundation in beijing, china are just some of the art spaces that have had the pleasure of exhibiting shirin neshat s the book of kings. In her fifth solo exhibit at new yorks gladstone gallery, artist shirin neshat sets up her first ever photo installation. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Looking for oum kulthum is a 2017 internationally coproduced drama film about the egyptian diva umm kulthum, directed by shirin neshat in collaboration with shoja azari. Shirin neshats photographs and videos address individual freedoms under attack from or repressed by social ideologies.
Shirin neshat is an iranian artist based in new york. Shirin neshat is an iranian visual artist who was born in qazvin, iran, educated in berkeley, california and is currently based in new york. Shirin neshat has 28 books on goodreads with 1594 ratings. Browse more artworks shirin neshat from leila heller gallery. Shirin neshat and fereydoun aves the book of kings exhibition. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Facing history is the companion volume to the smithsonians hirshhorn museum exhibition of the same name. For shirin neshat, art became a kind of an excuse to build a relationship, even from a distance, to her homeland and history.
Available for sale from leila heller gallery, shirin neshat, mosaeb masses, from the book of kings series 2012, ink on le silver gelatin print, 101. Best known for her work in photography, film and video, neshat creates stark visual contrasts that offer glimpses into the social, cultural and religious codes of muslim societies. Shirin neshat on the video art that reconnected her with iran the start podcast the visual artist reveals how her installation turbulent built a. Two iranian artistsmonir shahroudy farmanfarmaian and shirin neshathad retrospectives open this year, one at the guggenheim, in new york, and. In 1990, eleven years after the fateful iranian revolution, she returned to iran and soon began work on her debut photographic series, women of allah 1994. Two iranian artists and the revolution the new yorker. Shirin neshats determination to undermine western assumptions about middle eastern women has resulted in an already substantial body of astounding and profound work. Shirin neshat, the book of kings, 2012, installation view. Shirin neshats large photo series the book of kings is inspired by the 60,000 verse poem shahnameh the book of kings from the eleventh century by the. Shirin neshat, anna, from the home of my eyes series, 2015 silver gelatin print and ink, 152. It was screened in the contemporary world cinema section at the 2017 toronto international film festival cast.
Shirin neshat is an iranianborn visual artist who has made her home countrys turbulent history the subject of high art. The 6th hiroshima art prize, hiroshima city museum of contemporary art, hiroshima, japan. This beautiful volume presents an array of neshats most compelling works and illuminates the points at which cultural and political events have inflected her artistic practice. Shirin neshats solo show the book of kings at faurschou foundation in beijing, china features a new body of. Incorporating archival material to contextualize her practice, the show confronts. I went in october or november of 2012 with my collaborator, someone who always takes the photos for me, larry barnes. Join facebook to connect with shirin neshat and others you may know. Its written all over their faces the washington post. View the book of kings series by shirin neshat on artnet. The exhibition, she explains in an interview with voa persian tvs behnam nateghi, is about power and peoples relationship to power, which she sees as. As shahnameh cast the islamic conquest of persia as a tragedy, so the book of kings commemorates the countless masses of unknown citizens who courageously sacrificed themselves in the name of. Overruled performance by shirin neshat the brooklyn rail.
Shirin neshat on the video art that reconnected her with. The faurschou foundation beijing is honored to present shirin neshats the book of kings. Exiled iranian artist shirin neshat looks at the egyptian. Shirin neshat s most popular book is women without men. Neshats series returned to gladstone through february 23, 2008. Discover book depositorys huge selection of shirin neshat books online. Facing history presents an array of neshats most compelling works, illuminating the points at which cultural and political events have impacted her artistic practice. On guard 1998 national museum of women in the arts. Portrait of shirin neshat rodolfo martinez born in iran in 1957, neshat came to the united states as a teenager to study.
The exhibition features a new body of photography works and a video. Since her 1994 series women of allah, shirin neshat born 1957 has been exp. Written on the body by shirin neshat the strength of. In her upcoming project, neshat will present a new series of photographs and a. Shirin neshat and mikhail baryshnikov among praemium. Neshat also approaches the body as the place where history is inscribed in the series of photographs she has produced using the persian book of kings as a starting point. Born in qazvin, she left iran at the age of sixteen to study in the united states. Artist shirin neshat began to explore the question of identity after moving from her native iran to new york, where she has lived in what she defines as selfimposed exile for most of her adult life. Available for sale from leila heller gallery, shirin neshat, kouross masses, from the book of kings series 2012, ink on le silver gelatin, 101. Like poetry to decipher, these stark blackandwhite portraits of women, many of whom have text inscribed on their. The artist reflects upon the complexities of life in a culture that, after many waves of diaspora, has been painfully divided between those who stayed and those who left. The installation features two blackandwhite projections.
Neshats the book of kings is inspired by the epic poem shahnameh the book of kings, by the 11thcentury poet ferdowsi, which chronicled iran through the 7thcentury islamic conquest of persia. Although based in new york, most of her inspiration comes from her native home. Iranian exile shirin neshats new exhibition expresses the. The dancer mikhail baryshnikov and the visual artist shirin neshat are among the five winners of this years prestigious praemium imperiale award given by the japan art association. Shirin neshat kouross masses, from the book of kings. Throughout the space, dozens of iranian and arab youth with engaging, thoughtful expressions stare out from blackandwhite photographs by shirin neshat. The exhibition consisted of a total of 56 black and white photos framed in unmated and black frames that were hung across the two galleries. Shirin neshats powerful photographs and video installations illuminate the gender and cultural conflicts of her native iran. Shirin neshats book of kings captures the faces of the arab spring. Facing history resists the simplistic notion of neshats works as representative of female struggle under irans governmentas she has only experienced it through travelwithout reducing its urgency and authenticity.
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