The Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art is relaunching its acclaimed international exhibitions programme, during the 61st International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia:In Minor Keys, with a group exhibition of works by eleven significant female artists from Central Asia andwider regions of the East. Curated by Dr Ziba Ardalan, the exhibition TURANDOT: To the Daughters of the East will be presented in the historic ACP–Palazzo Franchetti from 9 May – 31 October 2026. The exhibition, Parasol unit’s third in Venice, marks the beginning of a new era in the foundation’s international programming focused on bringing the work of leading contemporary artists to audiences in different locations around the world.
The exhibition features both new and iconic artworks that span multiple genres, from video work by Lida Abdul, Hera Büyüktașcıyan, Daria Kim and Tala Madani, installations by Afruz Amighi, Saodat Ismailova and Nazira Karimi, sculpture by Huma Bhabha and Mona Hatoum, painting, video and spoken works by Farideh Lashai, textile and sound work by Madina Joldybek. These eleven artists engage profoundly with human, societal and global concerns, addressing themes as diverse as existence, myth and history.
Turandot is certainly one of the most complex and enigmatic figures in world mythology, literature and opera. Her story traverses centuries, languages and artistic forms, all the while reflecting ongoing crosscultural hybridity and reinterpretation. The earliest known versions of the Turandot tale appeared in Persian literature, notably in the twelfth-century epic work Haft Paykar (Seven Beauties) by Nezami Ganjavi. In one of his tales the poet writes of a far distant princess, Nasrin Nush of Slavic/Russian origin, whose wisdom and inaccessibility make her seem cold-hearted. The name Turandot first appeared in a 710 retelling of Nezami’s tales by François Pétis de la Croix who, having translated them from Farsi into French, chose to depict her as a Chinese princess. Her name and character seem to have been modified to fit Western Enlightenment-era fascination with the ‘exotic’ East. Two centuries later, Giacomo Puccini skilfully fused the Turandot tale with the Italian dramatic tradition to present one of music’s most
dramatic operas to a global audience.
A common given name for Persian females, Turandokht in Farsi means daughter of Turan, an historical and geographic region northeast of Iran. Known today as Central Asia, Turan includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which together with other regions such as Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, Turkey and Iran, have at times been integral parts of the Persian Empire. Although considered arch-rivals throughout antiquity and in mythological memories, Iran (settled) and Turan (nomadic) were intricately intertwined through their history and culture.
The exhibition TURANDOT: To the Daughters of the East pays homage to women artists from those geographical regions, whose individual and collective histories and works reveal their strength, convictions and creativity. Together, they honour the voice of Turandot as remarkable, intelligent and confident women.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a major publication featuring newly commissioned essays as well as an evolving programme of talks and performances in Venice.
Press release from Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art
Image: Hera Büyüktaşciyan. Still from The Dream of a Falling Star. 2019-23. Image courtesy of the artist
