Untitled (Tooba), 2002

Shirin Neshat’s 2002 edition Untitled (Tooba) presents a single tree standing at the center of a dry, windswept landscape, surrounded by a quiet gathering of figures partially concealed in the shade of its branches. Evocative and symbolically rich, the image draws on the Qur'anic reference to the “Tree of Paradise” (Tooba) and speaks to themes of sanctuary, spiritual refuge, and collective identity. As in much of Neshat’s work, the composition balances starkness with poetic subtlety – contrasting the expansive sky and arid terrain with the intimate human presence beneath the tree. The work suggests both a longing for protection and a meditation on place, belonging, and the sacred in times of upheaval. The edition is based on a still from Neshat's film, Tooba, which explores Iranian identity and the movement of people from their homeland to an imagined utopia.