Cao Fei: Dash

The exhibition “Dash”, devised by Cao Fei, explores the transformation of agriculture through technological innovation and its broader social and ecological implications. Developed in close collaboration with Fondazione Prada, the project combines photography, video installation, virtual reality, documentary material and archival sources to examine the emergence of smart agriculture in China and Southeast Asia.

Over the past three years Cao Fei has conducted field research across rural regions, documenting how technologies such as agricultural drones, algorithms and data systems are reshaping farming practices. The exhibition considers the impact of climate change, water scarcity and labour shortages on contemporary agriculture, while also addressing the ways in which automation and artificial intelligence alter relationships between humans, land and traditional knowledge.

Installed across the ground and first floors of the Podium, the project presents immersive environments including structures resembling a grain warehouse, a farmer station and a small plantation equipped with smart agricultural devices. The newly produced film “Dash”, shown on two screens, observes interactions between farmers and machines and reflects on the transfer of cognitive and physical rhythms between humans and technological systems.

Other installations include “The Birth”, a multimedia work examining the symbolic role of agricultural drones in contemporary farming rituals, and “Dash-180c”, a virtual reality experience that imagines a future shaped by automated agriculture. Archival documents, interviews and research materials further contextualise the artist’s investigation into the intersections of technology, agriculture and global economic transformation.