Dr. Ziba Ardalan is the Founder, Director and Curator of Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, an educational charity and a not-for-profit exhibition space in London. A graduate in the History of Arts from Columbia University, New York, Ardalan worked as Guest-Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York and went on to become the first Director/Curator of the city�s Swiss Institute. Before moving to London and founding Parasol unit, Ardalan was based in Zurich, Switzerland, where she lectured on art and worked as Art Advisor. Ardalan has curated numerous contemporary art exhibitions, almost fifty of which have been at Parasol unit. Prior to a career in art, Ardalan obtained a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry.