Cao Fei

Discover the surreal humor and cyber futurism of Cao Fei's visionary art Cao Fei is one of the most innovative artists to have emerged on the international stage, known for work that charts the breakneck urbanization, environmental changes, and social flux of twenty-first-century China. Born in Guangzhou, Cao works across videos, photography, sculpture, and immersive installations. Her acclaimed practice mixes social commentary, pop culture, references to surrealism, and documentary, and she has appeared no less than six times in Art Review’s “Power 100” list of the world’s most influential people in art. This book showcases key works from the past twenty years, as well as newly commissioned works that explore China’s deep ties to Australia. Together, they encompass a range of compelling themes, including digital transformations, globalization, family histories, and diaspora. The book offers new scholarship on the artist by curators Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd and Yin Cao, together with essays by the renowned scholar of Chinese contemporary art Hou Hanru and several emerging Asian-Australian writers. An expansive interview with Cao and short entries on key projects feature alongside a rich selection of artwork stills, images of props and paraphernalia, and a playful array of archival material spanning the artist’s influences.