Cao Fei: Testimonies to the Near Future

The Chinese artist Cao Fei (b. 1978, Guangzhou) is a defining voice of her generation, working across video, digital media, photography, installation, and sculpture. Her work captures the rapid changes shaping China since the 1978 Reform and Opening-up policy. For “Testimonies to the Near Future” — her first solo exhibition in Switzerland and largest European survey to date — the artist transforms the venue into a comprehensive work of art. The exhibition takes the form of a city, blending immersive installations and video universes from an oeuvre spanning thirty years.

For over two decades, Cao Fei has engaged with the impact of societal and technological transformations on human life through digital simulations and virtual-reality settings. Her videos and game-based environments, situated in factories and dreamscapes, explore work, identity, and globalisation without descending into pessimism. The exhibition extends across four floors, featuring elaborate installations that materialise elements from the videos, creating a three-dimensional experience where moving images become an immersive reality.