Sholeh Wolpé (image courtesy the Broad)
The written word — whether in poetry or scripture — has been an integral element of Persian art for centuries, with books and architecture often elaborately decorated with texts. This tradition continues in the work of Iranian-born, New York-based artist Shirin Neshat, who often covers the hands, bodies, and faces of her photographic subjects in stark black Persian calligraphy. The title of her current 30-year retrospective at the Broad, I Will Greet The Sun Again, is itself borrowed from a work by Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad. The exhibition includes photographs and video installations that explore issues of identity, displacement, feminism, and political turbulence with breathtaking beauty and grace.
“Shirin Neshat: I Will Greet the Sun Again” at the Broad, installation view of the “Land of Dreams” portrait gallery (Photo by Joshua White/JWPictures.com, courtesy The Broad.)
In conjunction with the exhibition, the Broad has organized The Logic of Poetry and Dreams, a series of talks and readings with poets, scholars, and artists who will reflect upon Neshat’s work. This week, the museum is hosting Iranian-born poet Sholeh Wolpé, who will be reading sections from her published volume of poetry, Keeping Time with Blue Hyacinths, as well as new, unreleased poems. She will be reading in a gallery featuring works from Neshat’s Women of Allah series, as well as her Soliloquy series, which include photos of the artist and female members of her family never before shown. The event offers a unique perspective on history, exile, and Iranian womanhood, as explored in both word and image.
When: Thursday, December 12, 7–7:30pm
Where: The Broad (221 S. Grand Ave., Downtown, Los Angeles)
More info at the Broad
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