Even in the West, some political artists have faced problems. Iranian-born filmmaker-photographer Sooreh Hera, who now lives in the Netherlands, received death threats when her photograph of a gay couple wearing masks of the prophet Mohammed and his son-in-law, Ali, was selected for an exhibition at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag in late 2007. Dutch Muslim groups called for a boycott of the institution and warned of riots if the work was shown. The piece was withdrawn, but the threats to Hera continue.

Reactions may evolve as the art gains exposure and the sociopolitical changes already taking place solidify. Certainly the financial outlook seems good. As Bonhams’s Rizvi points out, in 2001 “$60,000 was a huge amount [for these works]; now the record is over $1 million.” Islam agrees, noting plans for another Sotheby’s London sale in October. “I think there’s only one direction this is going to go,” she says, “which is up. I can feel it.” 

"Leaps of Faith" originally appeared in the May 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's May 2008 Table of Contents.