china’s evolution is unmatched and local artist cao fei feeds her creative practice from her country’s accelerated urbanization and the effect globalization has had on it. through films, multimedia works, sculptures and photographs, cao has managed to portray china’s rapid change and how it has affected the younger generations.
on a trip to beijing for the reveal of BMW art car #18 designed by cao fei, designboom toured the artist’s studio located in a former movie theater.
cao fei’s studio is located in a former theater in beijing
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born in 1978 in gangzhou, cao fei grew up absorbing western influences that contrasted with her father’s practice — a sculptor who dedicated his life to the production of realistic statues of chinese leaders like mao and deng xiaoping. by being the second generation of a family of sculptors, it’s no surprise cao turned into an artist herself, even if she rebelled against her family’s tradition in art. instead, she gained the ability of intertwining that long-established culture with the new modern one.
she moved into this space in decemeber 2015; the building will be soon demolished
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to reflect on the rapid and chaotic changes that are occurring in chinese society today, cao fei mixes social commentary, popular aesthetics, references to surrealism, and documentary conventions. in ‘whose utopia’ (2006), cao explored the relationship between quotidian experiences and the dreams, desires and fantasies of workers at a light bulb factory. following that she continued her research by turning into the second life virtual world with a three-part video called ‘i.mirror’ (2007) where she transformed herself into an avatar. in 2014 she presented ‘la town: the new desert’ where she created a world disrupted by industrialization.
it was built in the 1970’s, following russian conventions
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cao fei’s parallels can also be seen throughout her beijing studio, one that she has occupied since december 2015. the artist has kept the furniture that used to occupy the former theater, preserving the integrity of the space formed in the 70’s. cao has personally collected posters and objects that are exhibited around the studio that will be demolished soon.
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the theater used to screen films and also live drama performances
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it closed to the public after the olympics in 2008
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cao fei conserves the integrity of the space
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an elevated room serves as the library
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the original theater seats
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cao fei’s moodboards
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the studio’s kitchen
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the artist collects chinese posters that hang around the studio
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cao fei’s signature on body parts of the BW art car
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