ART CITIES:Doha-Shirin Neshat

 

 

Mythology, history, social events and the political situation in her country (Iran) is the source of inspiration for the work of Shirin Neshat (studied and works in U.S.A.), the emotions and personal life experiences and also the emphasizing of the important role played by women in the Iranian revolution, have also played an essential role in her artistic practice. In the exhibition entitled “Afterwords” at the Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, the artist looks at the connections between ancient history and the politics of the present in work characterized by a strong visual language.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha

Neshat uses photography, calligraphy, poetry and cinema, to investigate the primary concepts of violence, passion and love for people and the fellow man through human history. In her work, bears witness to the capacity of human beings to simultaneously build and destroy what constitutes them and their civilizations. Combines poetic images with foreground human figures of all ages and writes up verses from the Quran or poetry, creating a stunning effect, where through the paradox, violence and contradiction, chronicles collective stories. The contrasts and dissonant rhythms created between the individual works are part of the exhibition’s layout, with the viewer experiencing a succession of powerful images, which are related indirectly visually and directly sociopolitical. The exhibition provides a complete picture of her work, since it includes works from different periods. These include the photographic series Neshat produced in the early 1990s and two video installations that address the historical, cultural, and political realities of the Arab world, on which the artist has focused for the past thirty years. In the photographic series, Women of Allah (1993-97), the artist expresses her position on the situation in Iran following the Islamic Revolution in 1979. In her more recent series, The Book of Kings (2012) and Our House is on Fire (2013), Neshat responds to political events throughout the Arab world, capturing the emotions of people she met after the Arab Spring.

Info: “Afterwards”, Curating: Abdellah Karroum, Arab Museum of Modern Art, Education City, Al Huqoul St, Doha, Qatar, Duration 9/11/14-15/2/15, Days & Hours: Daily: 11:00-18:00 except Fri 15:00-20:00  & Mon closed, http://mathaf.org