The evolving performance project expands Miu Miu’s dialogue between fashion, cinema, and contemporary art through a new site-specific presentation at the Shanghai Exhibition Center
Miu Miu unveiled the third international iteration of Tales & Tellers in Shanghai on June 5, with a private vernissage at the Shanghai Exhibition Center ahead of public opening dates on June 6 and 7. Originally conceived by Miuccia Prada, the multidisciplinary project continues the house’s exploration of the intersections between fashion, film, performance, and contemporary art through a site-specific format that adapts to each new location.
Conceived by interdisciplinary artist Goshka Macuga and convened by curator and Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial artistic director Elvira Dyangani Ose in collaboration with theater and opera director Fabio Cherstich, Tales & Tellers draws from Miu Miu’s long-running Women’s Tales film series as well as artistic interventions staged during the brand’s runway presentations between Spring 2022 and Spring 2025. The Shanghai edition incorporates all 31 Women’s Tales films alongside seven artistic collaborations, bringing their characters and narratives into a live performance environment.
Within the installation, actors embody figures drawn directly from the films and artistic projects, creating a continuous dialogue between recorded and live performance. Through repeated gestures, interactions, and movement, the performers function as custodians of the stories they represent, transforming cinematic narratives into a collective and evolving experience. The project maintains a focus on women’s perspectives, examining how stories are transmitted, interpreted, and reshaped across different mediums and generations.
First presented at the Palais d’Iéna during Art Basel Paris in 2024 and reimagined at Terminal Warehouse in New York in 2025, Tales & Tellers has been recalibrated once again for its Shanghai presentation. The project continues to evolve with each iteration, incorporating new Women’s Tales films while responding to the cultural and architectural context of its host city.
The choice of the Shanghai Exhibition Center adds another layer to the project’s examination of narrative and ideology. Originally constructed in 1955 as the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building, the landmark venue combines Russian neoclassical architecture with elements of socialist realism. Installation design by OMA / AMO engages with the building’s historical framework, positioning the space not simply as a venue but as an active participant in the work’s interpretation.
Guests attending the opening included Lexie Liu, Li Gengxi, Liu Haocun, Minnie, Zhao Jinmai, Roy Wang, Sdanny Lee, Tan Chui Mui, Yin Fang, and Zou Jing. As luxury brands increasingly invest in cultural programming that extends beyond traditional retail and runway formats, Tales & Tellers continues to serve as a platform through which Miu Miu explores storytelling, artistic collaboration, and the evolving role of women’s voices across contemporary culture.
