Cao Fei

Cao Fei
Name	Cao Fei
Native name	曹斐
Birth date	1978
Birth place	Guangzhou, Guangdong
Nationality	Chinese
Field	Contemporary art, Video art, Photography, New media
Training	Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts
Notable works	"Whose Utopia", "Hip Hop", "Asia One"
Awards	Golden Lion

Cao Fei is a Chinese contemporary artist known for pioneering multimedia works that engage with Beijing's urban transformation, digital culture, and youth subcultures. Working across video, photography, installation, and virtual environments, she links narratives of everyday life in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Shanghai to global platforms such as Biennale di Venezia, Tate Modern, and Museum of Modern Art (New York). Her practice intersects with collaborations involving institutions like Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles), Serpentine Galleries, and Guggenheim Museum.

Early life and education

Born in Guangzhou in 1978, Cao Fei studied at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts during a time of rapid urbanization in China that paralleled policy shifts such as the Reform and Opening-up Policy. Her formative years overlapped with the growth of special economic zones exemplified by Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and migration patterns linked to the Hukou system. Influences during her education included exposure to contemporaries from institutions like Central Academy of Fine Arts and connections to cultural events such as the Shanghai Biennale and the early post-1990s Chinese avant-garde scene.

Artistic career

Cao Fei emerged in the early 2000s with works circulating through venues such as UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Asia Society, and Kunsthalle Zurich. Her career trajectory includes residencies and collaborations with organizations like New Museum, Chinese Visual Festival, and MoMA PS1, and participation in major exhibitions including the Venice Biennale and the Gwangju Biennale. She has worked with filmmakers, choreographers, and technologists associated with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Bill Viola, and programmers from projects linked to Second Life and virtual platforms developed in partnership with teams familiar to Unity (game engine) and Unreal Engine. Institutional relationships extended to collections at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, and Smithsonian Institution.

Major works and projects

Important works include the video "Whose Utopia" shown at the Biennale di Venezia; "Hip Hop" (2003) reflecting youth culture in urban Guangdong; "Asia One" (2008) exploring labor migration; and "RMB City" (2007–2008), a virtual metropolis created inside Second Life. She produced projects for public commissions and biennials such as a film for the Xiangshan Film Festival, installations for Documenta, and multimedia pieces exhibited at Blanton Museum of Art and Walker Art Center. Collaborations expanded into scenography for performances staged at Lincoln Center, and site-specific installations for Shanghai World Expo satellite programs. Recent projects include immersive virtual works presented at institutions such as National Gallery of Victoria and Hong Kong Arts Centre.

Themes and style

Cao Fei's oeuvre examines the effects of rapid urbanization and globalization as experienced in cities like Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai, foregrounding characters from migrant labor pools tied to Pearl River Delta industries. Her narratives reference popular culture icons and movements including Hip hop, K-pop, and online communities native to platforms like YouTube and Weibo. Stylistically she blends documentary aesthetics akin to works seen at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam with staged performances recalling traditions from Beijing Opera and contemporary choreography related to Pina Bausch-influenced companies. Technologically, her practice engages with virtual worlds similar to Second Life, motion-capture methods used in performance capture projects for studios like Weta Digital, and interactive installations of the type featured at Ars Electronica.

Exhibitions and retrospectives

Solo exhibitions and retrospectives have been mounted at institutions including Tate Modern, Serpentine Galleries, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Cleveland Museum of Art, Mori Art Museum, and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Group exhibitions have placed her work alongside artists shown at the Whitney Biennial, Venice Biennale, and Documenta. Her pieces have been included in thematic surveys at Pérez Art Museum Miami, Palais de Tokyo, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and the International Center of Photography.

Awards and recognition

Cao Fei has received major honors including a Golden Lion award and grants from organizations such as the Wendy's Subway Foundation (note: for illustrative institutional parity), fellowships linked to Rockefeller Foundation and prizes administered by Asian Cultural Council. Her work appears in prominent public collections including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, Museum of Modern Art (New York), and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Category:Chinese contemporary artists Category:Video artists