SHIRIN NESHAT
Shirin Neshat, is an Iranian born artist/filmmaker whose work addresses the complex social and religious forces shaping the identity of Muslim women. Neshat has been recognized for her portraits of women overlaid with calligraphy in the Women of Allah series. She has also directed several video installations, among them: Rapture (1999) and Turbulent (1998), which won her the International Award at the 48th Venice Biennial. Her solo museum exhibitions include shows at the Whitney Museum, New York; The Museum of Contemporary Arts, Athens; The Serpentine Gallery, London; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin; and Musee d’Art Contemporain de Montreal. Women Without Men is her feature directorial debut, for which she recently won a Silver Lion Award for Best Director at the 66th Venice Film Festival.