Overview
Cao Fei’s practice examines how technological advancements intersect with popular culture and urban transformation in contemporary China. Cao’s multi- part installation project HX Project (2019–2020) reflects on the intense industrial development in the area surrounding Beijing’s Hongxia Theatre, where her studio was located, as well as the neighbouring Jiuxianqiao and Dashanzi districts.
Presented across four spaces, the work traces the rise and fall of neighbourhoods from multiple perspectives. It features a screening area for the fictional narrative film Nova (2019); a space detailing the theatre’s history via archival materials, a documentary and an original publication; a virtual reality room titled The Eternal Wave (2020); and a reception area.