Acclaimed Iranian artist Shirin Neshat has returned to Venice with “Do U Dare!,” a new film trilogy exploring the fractures of identity, exile and digital culture, per theartnewspaper.com.
Premiering at the 16th-century Palazzo Marin alongside the 61st Venice Biennale, the work is inspired by the life of Nasim Aghdam, the Iranian-American woman who opened fire at YouTube’s headquarters in 2018.
The exhibition, set in New York, follows a female protagonist through three distinct social landscapes. Shot in black and white, the films observe a solitary figure in public spaces before transitioning into vibrant colour as she enters interior environments. Neshat describes these shifts as a form of magic realism, illustrating the duality between a passive public persona and a defiant, “superpowered” private world.
Neshat noted that her work explores the paradox of women who appear “submissive and quiet” in public but remain “rebellious and defiant” in private. She stated that while her art is never a “direct protest,” it remains politically motivated by her own experience of being banned and exiled by the Iranian government.
The project draws directly from the history of Aghdam, a vegan activist and social media creator who lived as a recluse in California. Aghdam accused YouTube of censorship and demonetisation before wounding three people and killing herself at the company’s San Bruno campus on April 3, 2018. While Neshat avoids a literal biographical retelling, she identifies with Aghdam’s struggle as an exile navigating the tensions between Iranian and American cultures.
Neshat suggests that for individuals like Aghdam, digital platforms offer a “third place” for self-expression that can eventually become a site of obsession. The trilogy examines the thin line between artistic imagination and self-destruction, portraying the camera as both a tool for resistance and a witness to mental fragility.
The installation contrasts the gritty New York settings of the film with the ornate 18th-century frescoes of Palazzo Marin. Organized by Banca Ifis and the Associazione Genesi, the exhibition marks another significant Venice milestone for Neshat, who previously won the Golden Lion in 1999 and the Silver Lion for directing in 2009.
Shirin Neshat is one of the most prominent contemporary artists working in film and photography. Her work frequently addresses the social, political, and psychological dimensions of women’s experiences in contemporary Islamic societies and the Iranian diaspora.
The exhibition runs at Palazzo Marin from May 8 to September 6, 2026. Opening hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 7pm.
•Featured image: Still from Shirin Neshat’s film trilogy “Do U Dare!”/Courtesy of the artist, Gladstone and Lia Rumma Gallery, Milan/Naples
