Cao Fei: Avatars
In her Beijing studio, Cao Fei reflects on the behavior of avatars in the digital environment of “Second Life” and the motivations behind people who explore and inhabit virtual worlds. The video showcases Cao’s project RMB City (2007–2012) and the many avatars that frequented it, including the artist’s own avatar China Tracy.
“The avatar’s identity is basically akin to one’s true persona,” says the artist. “Maybe it’s just me, but I think some people might reveal their true persona through the behaviors of their avatars.”
Credits
Producer: Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Interview & Translation: Phil Tinari & Xiaotong Wang. Camera: Takahisa Araki & Frank Dellario. Editor: Paulo Padilha & Mark Sutton. Voiceover: Clara S. Jo. Artwork Courtesy: Cao Fei.
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Cao Fei’s work reflects the fluidity of a world in which cultures have mixed and diverged in rapid evolution. Her video installations and new media works explore perception and reality in places as diverse as a Chinese factory and the virtual world of “Second Life.” Applying strategies of sampling, role play, and documentary filmmaking to capture individuals’ longings and the ways in which they imagine themselves—as hip-hop musicians, costumed characters, or digitized alter egos—Cao Fei reveals the discrepancy between reality and dream, and the discontent and disillusionment of China’s younger generation.
Characters
More on Cao Fei
Coming Up Hip-Hop and Questioning Utopia
In this interview Cao Fei discusses cultural hybridity and her Hip Hop series, and the factory workers featured in her multi-part project Whose Utopia.
