Cao Fei: Illuminating China’s Past and Future Through Neon Cities, Cyber Nightmares, and Dim Sum

WWhen contemporary Chinese artist Cao Fei was negotiating a solo show at Nara Badu, the contemporary art department of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, she said it would be a traditional “white rectangular box illuminated.” He firmly insisted that there would be no such attempt.

The Guangzhou-born artist has strong ties to Sydney (the vast Chinese port city’s sister city) and wanted to capture the sass and hustle and bustle of bustling malls and markets in her show.

As a result, in “Cao Fei: My City is Yours”, gallery walls are abandoned for scaffolding, and music and sound effects from her various installations, including theaters, restaurants, and factories, play into each other. They blend together and compete for the viewer’s charm. Note.

“This is not a criticism of European countries.” [style]But usually I watch a lot of video shows. [installed] Inside the white cube…you’ll see the curator turn down the volume. Quieter or cleaner,” Mr Cao told Guardian Australia.

“But I want my exhibition to reflect my personality and experience. There is always a lot of construction, demolition and reconstruction going on in my city. This is my material.”

‘My City is Yours’ is the Beijing-based artist’s first major solo exhibition in Australia, featuring major works from his 20-year career including film, photography, metaverse experiments and large-scale interactive installations at AGNSW and Sydney It is on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Much of Cao’s career has been spent investigating the incredible technological and social transformations that have taken place in China over the past quarter century. She has held solo exhibitions in Beijing, London, Paris, and New York, and last year was in the world’s top 10. ArtReview’s Power 100 listwhere she was described as “a key figure in envisioning our metaverse-colored future.”