39 | Beijing, China
Few artists capture the everyday realities of a changing society like Cao Fei. In multimedia works that mix documentary techniques with fantasy (virtual reality, anime, avatars), she explores the impact that China’s rapid transformation has had on the generation born after the Cultural Revolution. Yet for all its surreal Pop aesthetic, this is work with alienation at its heart. Cao Fei’s video, photography and sculpture has been shown widely, including at the Secession, Vienna, and at the 56th Venice Biennale. Her first US museum solo show at MoMA PS1 in 2016 confirmed her status as one of China’s most exciting young artists.
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