Discover the first Swiss solo exhibition of Chinese artist Cao Fei, spanning four floors of Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart. This extensive survey showcases pioneering video installations, digital simulations, and virtual-reality settings that trace rapid globalization. Visitors can explore works that blur the lines between physical and virtual worlds, reflecting on labor and human identity.
Read curatorial context and practical visitor information for Cao Fei: Testimonies to the Near Future at Kunstmuseum Basel – Gegenwart in Basel
This major survey exhibition presents the work of Chinese artist Cao Fei, transforming the Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart into an immersive cityscape of video installations and digital universes. Exploring the rapid societal and technological changes in China, the exhibition blends documentary observation with surreal speculation across the artist's three-decade career.
For 'Cao Fei: Testimonies to the Near Future', the artist has designed a total work of art that spans all four floors of the Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart. The exhibition showcases an extensive collection of video installations, digital simulations, and virtual-reality settings, tracing the artist’s engagement with the rapid globalization and technological transformations of China. By materializing elements from her films within the gallery, Cao Fei blurs the boundaries between the physical and virtual realms, inviting visitors to navigate a space that mirrors the complexities of a modern, digitized world. From her early explorations of youth subculture to her more recent investigations into the metaverse and artificial intelligence, Cao Fei’s work is characterized by its integration of documentary realism with speculative, surreal imagery. The exhibition includes seminal projects such as 'Whose Utopia' (2006), 'Asia One' (2018), and 'Nova' (2019–), offering a profound reflection on identity, labor, and the evolving relationship between humans and machines in the digital age.
General admission applies for visiting the exhibition. Guided tours and specialized workshops can be booked separately through the official museum ticket shop, with some events requiring advanced registration due to limited capacity.
Review exhibition status, schedule, venue context, and attribution details for Cao Fei: Testimonies to the Near Future at Kunstmuseum Basel – Gegenwart in Basel
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