Shirin Neshat: An Interview

Shirin Neshat is an Iranian filmmaker, photographer, and installation artist based in New York. Migrating to the United States in the 1980s to pursue her studies at the University of California, Berkeley, she confronted the dual challenges of geographic separation from her family and the enduring political repercussions of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, circumstances that informed her subjectivity and artistic practice within the Iranian diaspora. Women of Allah was among the first photography projects to bring Neshat to the attention of venues such as The New York Times and the Venice Biennale, positioning her as a controversial artist, criticized by some as promoting pro-violent, archaic view of Islam, yet lauded by others for complicating and defamiliarizing representations of post-1979 Iranian women.

In this interview with American author and photographer Shawn Michelle Smith, Neshat discusses her engagement with Iranian calligraphy and poetry, elements historically interwoven into the surfaces of miniatures and architecture, as a means of reconnecting with her Iranian identity. She characterizes her visual art practice as a sculptural process, one inherently shaped by bodies and textures, and describes her video works as visual allegories. Land of Dreams exemplifies her interdisciplinary approach, extending from photography into film. Reflecting on the period when she was conceptualizing ways to visualize Americans’ dreams, Neshat recalls her travels to New Mexico, where the arid, deserted landscapes evoked memories of her homeland. Her contributions to the art world remain ongoing and encompass a wide range of forms, including opera and feature films.