How has China’s astoundingly rapid modernization affected the lives, experiences, and imaginations of artists in China?
Are the issues that Cao Fei – one of China’s acclaimed 21st century generation of artists – addresses and the way in which she addresses them, representative of young artists in China today?
Montreal-based art critic and curator, Alice Ming Wai Jim will discuss the work of Fei in the context of contemporary new media art from China on May 12 at 2 p.m. at the Surrey Art Gallery.
The Different Worlds of Cao Fei is presented in conjunction with the gallery’s exhibition Cao Fei: Simulus. Admission is free; donations gratefully accepted.
The computer age has produced many online, interactive parallel worlds. This talk examines Fei’s RMB City Planning and Apocalypse Tomorrow in relation to the numerous artworks, interactive exhibitions, and events that her art in the simulated online environment known as Second Life has spawned over the last three years.
Officially opened to the public in 2009, RMB City (2008-11) is arguably the most widely acclaimed Second Life art project, in both the Second Life and Real Life art worlds.
The project speaks to an expanding cultural brokerage between the art world and virtual economies as well as the role gaming and social media play in questioning these developments.
In the exhibition Cao Fei: Simulus, visitors are able to experience an interactive game environment, and two videos constructed from events that have taken place in Second Life.
Both the talk and exhibition are presented as part of Yellow Signal: New Media in China, which takes place in various venues throughout Metro Vancouver between March and September.
Surrey Art Gallery is located at 13750 88 Ave. Check www.surrey.ca/arts or call 604-501-5566 for more information.
