A clay cylinder covered in Akkadian cuneiform script, damaged and broken, the Cyrus Cylinder is a powerful symbol of religious tolerance and multi-culturalism. In this talk Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, traces 2600 years of Middle Eastern history through this single object.
Iranian artist Shirin Neshat talks about the paradox of being an artist in exile. In her work, she explores Iran pre- and post-Islamic Revolution, tracing political and societal change through powerful images of women.
Neshat?s provocative photographs and video installations have resonated with the curators of many major international art exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, where she won the top prize in 1999. Her first feature film, Women Without Men, tells the stories of four women struggling to escape oppression in Tehran. It won her the Silver Lion for best director at the 2010 Venice Film Festival.