Shirin Neshat: Fervor and Turbulent

This solo exhibition by photographer and filmmaker Shirin Neshat features two dual-channel films. Turbulent (1998) focuses on gender relationships in Iran through music and performance. Despite a rich tradition of female performers in Iran, under the current extreme interpretation of Shi'ite law, women are not allowed to sing in public. In Turbulent, a man performs before an audience while a woman sings a wordless song alone. Fervor (2000) similarly employs two screens to depict a man and woman in the same place at the same time, unable to connect in the midst of a revolutionary Iranian culture with a negative view of love. Neshat was born in Iran 1957. She came to the United States in 1975 but chose to remain in New York City after the Iranian Revolution (1978-1979). As an internationally celebrated artist known for her artistic and allegorical interpretations of Iranian culture and history, particularly from the point of view of women, concerns for her safety under the current regime have kept Neshat from visiting her native country since 1996. The show curated by Kathy Goncharov will be on view until October 22, 2017. For more information visit: https://www.bocamuseum.org/exhibitions/shirin-neshat-fervor-and-turbulent