Cao Fei
Cao Fei is a Chinese artist working within Contemporary Art, widely recognized for a practice that spans video, film, installation and digital media. Her artworks examine the social and psychological impact of rapid technological change, urbanization and shifting cultural identity in contemporary China. Her work often focuses on generations shaped by the post–Cultural Revolution era, where the boundaries between dreams and reality are increasingly blurred. Through speculative narratives and immersive environments, Cao Fei explores how individuals navigate realities shaped by media, automation and virtual worlds.
Her work often blends documentary observation with fiction, drawing on popular culture, science fiction and online environments. Cosplay, gaming platforms and digital avatars frequently appear alongside real-world settings such as factories, housing developments and logistics centers. This interplay between the physical and the virtual is central to Cao Fei’s practice, positioning technology as both a tool and a subject of inquiry.
Cao Fei biography and artistic context
Cao Fei was born in 1978 in Guangzhou, China. She studied at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and received her B.F.A. in 2001. During her studies, she developed an early interest in video, performance and moving-image practices. Emerging in the early 2000s, she became associated with a generation of Chinese artists engaging critically with media culture, youth identity and globalization.
Her early works focused on youth subcultures and everyday life in rapidly changing urban environments. Over time, her practice expanded toward larger-scale installations and speculative narratives addressing labor, automation and digital infrastructure. Projects such as Whose Utopia examined factory environments and workers’ inner lives, while later works explored virtual worlds and simulated cities as reflections of social desire and alienation.
Cao Fei has exhibited extensively at major international institutions, including participation in the Venice Biennale and Documenta 13, as well as exhibitions at the Guggenheim Museum, Centre Pompidou, MoMA PS1 and Serpentine Galleries. Her work is held in significant museum collections, including The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and continues to shape discussions around media art, technology and contemporary society.
Notable artworks and projects by Cao Fei
Whose Utopia (2006) - A video and installation project examining factory workers’ dreams and identities within industrial environments.
RMB City (2007–2011) - RMB City (2007–2011), a long-term project created within the virtual world Second Life, developed through her avatar China Tracy, constructing a speculative digital city reflecting urbanization and capitalism.
Second Life works - Projects engaging virtual platforms as spaces for artistic production and social experimentation.
Haze and Fog (2013) - A film depicting a near-future society shaped by environmental crisis and surveillance.
Asia One (2018) - A large-scale video installation exploring automation, logistics and human labor within distribution centers.
La Town - An installation project constructing a miniature post-apocalyptic cityscape, blending model-making and cinematic narrative.
Collector Interest & Market Relevance
Cao Fei is a Chinese artist working within Contemporary Art, widely recognized for a practice that spans video, film, installation and digital media. Her artworks examine the social and psychological impact of rapid technological change, urbanization and shifting cultural identity in contemporary China. Her work often focuses on generations shaped by the post–Cultural Revolution era, where the boundaries between dreams and reality are increasingly blurred. Through speculative narratives and immersive environments, Cao Fei explores how individuals navigate realities shaped by media, automation and virtual worlds.
Her work often blends documentary observation with fiction, drawing on popular culture, science fiction and online environments. Cosplay, gaming platforms and digital avatars frequently appear alongside real-world settings such as factories, housing developments and logistics centers. This interplay between the physical and the virtual is central to Cao Fei’s practice, positioning technology as both a tool and a subject of inquiry.
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