cao fei's 'duotopia' delves into the metaverse and virtual reality at sprüth magers berlin

Cao Fei’s ‘Duotopia’ Between Virtual & Physical World

Sprüth Magers Berlin opened its doors to the public with ‘Duotopia’, a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Cao Fei. Renowned for her skill in multimedia installations, Fei’s creations often blur the lines between the real and fantastical, delving into the impact of technology on modern society. In ‘Duotopia,’ the artist presents a series of new works that continue her exploration of the metaverse, virtual worlds, and their relationship to the physical realm.

The exhibition’s title references the concept of a utopian society comprising two distinct parts, one physical and one virtual. Throughout the exhibition, Fei creates a dialogue between these two realms, questioning their boundaries and probing the interactions between human and machine consciousness. On view until August 19, 2023, the show

create immersive experiences that challenge our understanding of the world around us.

Cao Fei, Duotopia, Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Berlin, April 29–August 19, 2023, photo by Timo Ohler

probing the boundaries of real and imaginary

Located in the lower galleries of the exhibition, a series of new videos examine the creative and connective potential of the metaverse. The first video, ‘Meta-mentary’ (2022), introduces viewers to everyday people sharing their perspectives on the metaverse and the future. Adjacent screens and vitrines showcase Cao Fei’s earlier virtual-reality creation, ‘RMB City’ (2007-2011), which served as the home of her first avatar, China Tracy. Both projects highlight Fei’s ongoing fascination with the fluid boundaries between physical and virtual realities.

Surrounded by bold banners advertising the exhibition’s name, ‘Duotopia’ (2022) showcases Fei’s first architectural creation in the metaverse. The video is displayed horizontally, and viewers are invited to lie on the floor and look upward, immersively experiencing the video from below. The construction of Duotopia spins and floats in a blushing sky, featuring substructures shaped like enormous aquatic creatures that appear to bridge the gap between air and sea.

Cao Fei, Duotopia, Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Berlin, April 29–August 19, 2023, photo by Timo Ohler

stepping inside Sprüth Magers Berlin

Displayed on vertical screens resembling mobile phones, ‘Oz’ (2022) features a new avatar for Duotopia that Cao Fei has imagined 15 years after the birth of China Tracy and RMB City. With bionic tentacles and a poised, androgynous appearance, Oz exudes a sense of peacefulness that suggests hoping for an eternal future. Separated from the metaverse by a complex arrangement of false walls, props, photographs, and memorabilia, three of Cao Fei’s recent projects explore the experiences of her family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a counterpoint to the exhibition’s virtual realm.

The artist’s signature surrealism and theatricality are evident in each of these works, although they situate the viewer in more everyday reality. ‘Isle of Instability’ (2020) documents a period of quarantine in Singapore during the early stages of the pandemic, depicting the array of necessities like sanitizer and government paperwork alongside a video of an ‘island’ created by the artist in her living room to distract and amuse her daughter. The video also shows vacant highways and city streets.

Cao Fei, Duotopia, Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Berlin, April 29–August 19, 2023, photo by Timo Ohler

‘A Holiday’ (2023) is an installation that includes a campground picnic, faux greenery, fences, and a video filmed in Beijing in 2022, among other objects. This work reflects the need for nature that many people felt in response to the confinement and stress of long-term remote living. Cao Fei’s latest video, Still Alive (2023), pays tribute to her mother during a time of mourning after the loss of her stepfather to COVID-19 complications.

In the upstairs gallery, Cao Fei showcases two videos exploring time, space, and the fictional nature of history and geopolitics. Nova (2019) tells a nonlinear story of a Chinese scientist and his colleagues striving to solve time travel aided by a Soviet scientist, leading to his son being accidentally trapped in an alternate space-time continuum. The son travels through retro-futuristic landscapes, trying to find his way back home, amidst Cao Fei’s lush installation filled with nostalgic details.Cao Fei DUOTOPIA – 1st Edition, 2022, 3D rendering video, 9:16, color with sound, 2min 40sec, photo © Cao Fei, 2023 Courtesy the artist, Vitamin Creative Space and Sprüth Magers

Cao Fei’s new video, MatryoshkaVerse (2022), briefly revisits the researchers and astronaut from her previous work. The video captures documentary footage of the fascinating border city of Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia, where a blend of Chinese and Russian influences are visible in the giant Matryoshka-doll buildings and amusement parks. The city and its surrounding landscape serve as a backdrop for a metaphysical exploration of multinationalism, cultural hybridity, and the complex ways in which human history continues to leave its mark on the earth. MatryoshkaVerse and all of Cao Fei’s exhibited projects reflect on the swift global changes affecting China and the world and the connections that bind us across these divides.

photo © Cao Fei, 2023, Courtesy the artist, Vitamin Creative Space and Sprüth Magers

Cao Fei, Duotopia, Installation view, Sprüth Magers, Berlin, April 29–August 19, 2023, photo by Timo Ohler

Cao Fei, A Holiday, 2023, Single-channel HD video, 16:9, color with sound, photo © Cao Fei, 2023, Courtesy the artist, Vitamin Creative Space and Sprüth Magers

Cao Fei, MatryoshkaVerse, 2022, Double Channel HD video, 16:4.5, color with sound, 37min 38sec © Cao Fei, 2023, Courtesy the artist, Vitamin Creative Space and Sprüth Magers