‘Land of Dreams’ is the first time that Shirin Neshat has looked to America – where she has lived for 40 years – for the focus of her work. Almost augural, the exhibition opening followed the recent escalation of tensions between her native land, Iran and her adoptive home of the US. Throughout the show, she explores the American dream, as read by an Iranian. Her protagonist, Simin, serves as a guide both in portraiture and film and stands in for Neshat, allowing the artist some objective distance.
The show comprises two video installations and over 100 portraits, the latter showing diverse American faces, each looking back at the viewer as though about to tell a story.
Shirin Neshat, The Colony, 2019
The videos are a satirical juxtaposition of the American dream, specifically the dream of the marginalised, and the US tensions with Iran. The first follows Simin as she knocks on doors in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the hopes of documenting its residents’ portraits and dreams. The second subverts the perception of what Iranians get up to, depicting a surreal Iranian dream-processing plant, where current narratives would suggest a bomb-making factory.
Neshat chose New Mexico for its demographics: it is one of the poorest US states, its populations of Hispanic people, African American and Native Americans are among the largest in the country. For the artist, who before the project had never met a Native American, the destitution she witnessed on their reservations stood in marked contrast to the dignity of the people.
Shirin Neshat, Paulita Cowboy, from Land of Dreams series 2019 C-print & ink Work: 84.6 x 119.4 cm
Shirin Neshat, Jenasis Greer, from Land of Dreams series 2019 C-print & ink Work: 182.9 x 121.9 cm
The exhibition hinges on Neshat’s own immigrant identity and divided sense of home. She had returned to America in 1996 after a period of politically motivated detainment in Iran, a reaction against her work. Upon her release, she arrived at the US border and met an African American immigration officer, who welcomed her home. ‘Land of Dreams’ is Neshat’s reaction to the increased hostility that immigrants in America now experience in the years since. The Goodman exhibition is but the first chapter of her project, she hopes to start shooting a feature film by the same name this spring.
Installation view of Land of Dreams by Shirin Neshat. Photography: courtesy of Goodman Gallery
It's looking to be a major year for the artist, who has recently been announced as Master of Photography at Photo London 2020. A celebratory show, including a site-specific installation, will be on view at Somerset House from 14 May – 21 June.
Shirin Neshat, The Colony, 2019
Shirin Neshat, Land of Dreams, 2019
INFORMATION
‘Land of Dreams', until 28 March, Goodman Gallery. goodman-gallery.com
ADDRESS
Goodman Gallery
26 Cork Street
London W1S 3ND
-
Terrified to get inked? This inviting Brooklyn tattoo parlour is for people who are 'a little bit nervous'With minty-green walls and an option to 'call mom', Tiny Zaps' Williamsburg location was designed to tame jitters
-
Let’s hear it for the Chopard L.U.C Grand Strike chiming watchThe Swiss watchmaker’s most complicated timepiece to date features an innovative approach to producing a crystal-clear sound
-
Form... and flavour? The best design-led restaurant debuts of 2025A Wallpaper* edit of the restaurant interiors that shaped how we ate, gathered and lingered this year
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week'Tis the season for eating and drinking, and the Wallpaper* team embraced it wholeheartedly this week. Elsewhere: the best spot in Milan for clothing repairs and outdoor swimming in December
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFar from slowing down for the festive season, the Wallpaper* team is in full swing, hopping from events to openings this week. Sometimes work can feel like play – and we also had time for some festive cocktails and cinematic releases
-
The Barbican is undergoing a huge revamp. Here’s what we knowThe Barbican Centre is set to close in June 2028 for a year as part of a huge restoration plan to future-proof the brutalist Grade II-listed site
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s wet, windy and wintry and, this week, the Wallpaper* team craved moments of escape. We found it in memories of the Mediterranean, flavours of Mexico, and immersions in the worlds of music and art
-
Each mundane object tells a story at Pace’s tribute to the everydayIn a group exhibition, ‘Monument to the Unimportant’, artists give the seemingly insignificant – from discarded clothes to weeds in cracks – a longer look
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThis week, the Wallpaper* team had its finger on the pulse of architecture, interiors and fashion – while also scooping the latest on the Radiohead reunion and London’s buzziest pizza
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s been a week of escapism: daydreams of Ghana sparked by lively local projects, glimpses of Tokyo on nostalgic film rolls, and a charming foray into the heart of Christmas as the festive season kicks off in earnest
-
Wes Anderson at the Design Museum celebrates an obsessive attention to detail‘Wes Anderson: The Archives’ pays tribute to the American film director’s career – expect props and puppets aplenty in this comprehensive London retrospective
