Cao Fei, born in 1978 in Guangzhou, currently living in Beijing.

Website: www.caofei.com

Born in 1978 in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Cao Fei graduated from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art in 2001. She lives and works in Beijing.

Cao Fei is one of the most innovative Chinese artists to have emerged on the international scene. She mixes social commentary, popular aesthetics, references to Surrealism, and documentary conventions in her films and installations. Her works reflect on the rapid growth and development of the Chinese society today, and explore perception and reality in places as diverse as a Chinese factory and the virtual world of “Second Life”. Applying strategies of sampling, role play, and documentary filmmaking to capture individuals’ longings and the ways in which they imagine themselves—as hip-hop musicians, costumed characters, or digitized alter egos—Cao Fei reveals the discrepancy between reality and dream, and the discontent and disillusionment of China’s younger generation. Fascinated by the world of "Second Life", Cao Fei has created and designed her own virtual utopia, “RMB City” (2007–11), where she is both participant and observer through her “Second Life” avatar, China Tracy, who acts as a guide, philosopher, and tourist. Cao Fei’s art practices explore the fluidity of a world in which cultures have mixed and diverged in rapid evolution.

Cao Fei’s recent solo exhibition and projects include “Cao Fei: the future is not a dream”, Contemporary Pinacoteca, Grand Gallery, São Paulo,2023; “Ice Room Lagrange”, Zhiwu, Shanghai, 2022; “Safety Curtain”, Vienna State Opera, Vienna, 2022; “Asia One”, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenaghen, 2022; “Cao Fei:Supernova”, The National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome, 2021; “Cao Fei:Staging the Era”, UCCA Beijing, Beijing, 2021; “Blueprints”, Serpentine Gallery, London, 2020; “Cao Fei: Fú Chá”, National Gallery Singapore, Singapore, 2020; “HX”, Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2019; “Cao Fei”, K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Dusseldorf, 2018; “A hollow in a world too full”, Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong, 2018; “Cao Fei”, MoMA PS1, New York, 2016; ect. Her works have been exhibited at a number of international biennales and triennales, including Shanghai Biennale (2004), Moscow Biennale (2005), Taipei Biennale (2006), the 15th & 17th Biennale of Sydney (2006 and 2010), Istanbul Biennial (2007), Yokohama Triennale (2008), and the 50th, 52nd & 56th Venice Biennale (2003, 2007 and 2015). She was the first Chinese artist to received the BMW Art Car Project.

She was a nominee for the Future Generation Art Prize 2010 and the finalist of Hugo Boss Prize 2010. She received the Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA) Best Young Artist Award in 2006, Best Artist Award in 2016 and Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize in 2021. She was also the recipient of Piedra de Sal Award at Cuenca Biennale in 2016.

Website: www.caofei.com

Cao Fei  (SL: China Tracy)：RMB City (2007-2011) 

Cao Fei  (SL: China Tracy)：RMB City (2007-2011) 

Cao Fei: the future is not a dream Sep 02, 23 — Apr 14, 24 Grand Gallery, São Paulo, Brazil

Safety Curtain 2022/2023 Vienna State Opera, Vienna

Cao Fei: Supernova December 16 2021 to May 08 2022 The National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome

Cao Fei: Staging the Era March 12 to June 6 2021 UCCA Beijing, Beijing

Cao Fei: the future is not a dream Sep 02, 23 — Apr 14, 24 Grand Gallery, São Paulo, Brazil

Cao Fei: Ice Room Lagrange November 13, 2022 to Febrary 12, 2023 ZiWU the Bund, Shanghai

Safety Curtain 2022/2023 Vienna State Opera, Vienna

Cao Fei: Asia One 17 sep – 19 feb 2023 Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen

Cao Fei: Supernova December 16 2021 to May 08 2022 The National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome

Cao Fei: Staging the Era March 12 to June 6 2021 UCCA Beijing, Beijing

Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2021 Deutsche Börse Headquarter, Frankfurt. The Photographers' Gallery, London 25 January 2021 to 26 September 2021

Cao Fei: Blueprints 4 Mar – 17 May 2020 Serpentine Gallery, London

Artist Cinemas: Crashing into the Future, convened by Cao Fei February 22 through April 5, 2021

Cao Fei Oct 6, 2018 — Jan 13, 2019 K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Dusseldorf, Germany

A hollow in a world too full 8 SEP 2018 - 4 JAN 2019 Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong

Extreme. Nomads - RAY 2018 24 May ― 9 September 2018 MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany

Cao Fei: HX 6 Jun – 26 Aug 2019 The Centre Pompidou, Paris

Cao Fei Oct 6, 2018 — Jan 13, 2019 K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Dusseldorf，Germany

A hollow in a world too full 8 SEP 2018 - 4 JAN 2019 Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong

I Was Raised on the Internet 23 Jun — 14 Oct 2018 Museum of Art Chicago MCA，Chicago, U.S

Extreme. Nomads - RAY 2018 24 May ― 9 September 2018 MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany

One Hand Clapping 4 May — 21 Oct 2018 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

A World in a Grain of Sand 28 Apr — 12 May 2018 Fosun Foundation，shanghai

Bi-City Biennale of UrbanismArchitecture VII: Cities Grow in Difference 15 Dec 2017 — 15 Mar 2018 Nantou Old Town, Shenzhen

Simultaneous Eidos - Guangzhou Image Triennial 2017 15 Dec 2017 — 15 Mar 2018 Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou

M+ Screenings: City Limits to explore urbanisation in Asia this August 4 — 6 Aug 2017 Broadway Cinematheque in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong

Talking Pictures: Camera-Phone Conversations Between Artists 23 Jun – 17 Nov 2017 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Canton Express 23 Jun – 10 Sept 2017 M+ Pavilion, West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong

Yinchuan Biennale 2016 — For an Image, Faster than Light 9 Sept – 12 Dec 2016 MOCA Yinchuan, Yinchuan

Cao Fei 3 Apr – 31 Aug 2016 MoMA PS1, New York

Digging a Hole in China 20 Mar – 26 June 2016 OCAT Shenzhen, Shenzhen

Bentu, Chinese artists at a time of turbulence and transformation 27 Jan – 2 May 2016 Foundation Louis Vuitton, Paris

The Collection, A selection of Chinese works 27 Jan – 5 Sept 2016 Foundation Louis Vuitton, Paris

Nonfigurative 12 Nov 2015 – 28 Feb 2016 Shanghai 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai

15 Rooms 25 Sep – 8 Nov 2015 Long Museum, Shanghai

"Cao Fei. I watch that worlds pass by", Daimler Art Collection Artist Book #7 15 Sep 2015 Daimler Art Collection, Berlin

Cao Fei: Splendid River 2 Jul – 30 Aug 2015 Secession, Vienna

All the World’s Futures - 56th International Art Exhibition 9  May – 22 Nov 2015 56th La Biennale di Venezia, Venice

"Same Old, Brand New" ICC lightshow by Cao Fei 13 March – 31 May 2015 International Commerce Centre (ICC), Hong Kong

Cao Fei : Haze and Fog 21 September to 16 November 2013 Eastside Projects, Birmingham

Cao Fei, Nova 01, photogrph, 2019 Courtesy of the artist and Vitamin Creative Space.

Once Again, We’re On the Road

Cao Fei: HX. Beijing: The Pavilion, London: Serpentine Galleries, English, 2020.

Cao Fei | SL Avatar: China Tracy: RMB City, Guangzhou: Vitamin Creative Space, Chinese and English, 2008.

Cao Fei: HX. Beijing: The Pavilion, London: Serpentine Galleries, English, 2020.

Cao Fei. I watch that worlds pass by. Cologne: Snoeck Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, English, 2015.

Cao Fei. Splendid River. Vienna: Secession, Berlin: Revolver Publishing, English, 2015.

Cao Fei: Journey. Paris: Frac Ile-de-France / Le Plateau, Guangzhou: Vitamin Creative Space, Chinese and English, 2008.

Cao Fei | SL Avatar: China Tracy: RMB City, Guangzhou: Vitamin Creative Space, Chinese and English, 2008.

Cao Fei. Nù. Guangzhou: Vitamin Creative Space, Chinese and English, 2007.

Hettie Judah. “Cao Fei: Blueprints review-would you trade love for progress?” In The Guardian, March 4, 2020, English, 2020.

“Cao Fei on the limits of truth and virtuality.” In Artforum, March 15, 2020, English, 2020.

Hettie Judah. “Cao Fei: Blueprints review-would you trade love for progress?” In The Guardian, March 4, 2020, English, 2020. 

“Cao Fei on the limits of truth and virtuality.” In Artforum, March 15, 2020, English, 2020.

“Cao Fei interview — the top Chinese artist who defied the coronavirus to show in London.” In The Times, Saturday Review, March 7, 2020, English, 2020.

Ocula in conversation with Cao Fei. “Cao Fei in Conversation.” In Ocula, English and Chinese, 2018.

Farago, Jason. “An Artist Warns of a Robot-Ruled Future. Or is it our Present? Let’s Discuss.” In The New York Times, August 23, 2018, English, 2018.

A.Zombie. “Coming to Beijing: Dead on Arrival.” In Leap, January 8, 2014, English, 2014.

Rachel Marsden. “Utopian Metropolis or Zombie Necropolis?—Filming ‘Haze and Fog’.” In Ran Dian, March 25, 2014, English and Chinese, 2014.

Holden Platt, Kevin. “Beyond Babel, virtual spaces.” In the Global Edition of the New York Times. English, 2013.

UCCA Exhibition | "Cao Fei: Staging the Era" Virtual Guided Tour

Cao Fei: Blueprints | Serpentine Exhibition 

UCCA Exhibition | "Cao Fei: Staging the Era" Virtual Guided Tour

Cao Fei: Blueprints | Serpentine Exhibition 

Cao Fei: “The Odyssey of Li Nova, Episode 2: Tai Chi” , 2021，New York University Abu Dhabi