Cao Fei

Cao Fei, a global figure renowned for her pioneering work across video, photography and digital media, transforms the Hayward Gallery with her boundary-pushing, immersive installations. Unfolding across five thematic chapters, the exhibition traces Cao's practice from the early 2000s to the present day. The exhibition brings together many of Cao's most iconic projects: Whose Utopia (2006), RMB City (2007 – 2011) and Asia One (2018), alongside her latest multi-channel installation The Birth (2026). Together, the works chart the development of an artist at the forefront of contemporary art's technological revolution. Her art blends influences from cinema, popular culture, science fiction, gaming, history and technological innovation, reflecting and reimagining our fast-changing society, often with fantastical or surreal elements. From capturing the collision of cultures and traditions across generations; to projecting the inner dreams of factory workers; from recording rapid urban changes to creating virtual worlds that question our realities, Cao's immersive worldbuilding is an invitation to rethink our past, present and possible futures. This presentation is the second iteration of Cao Fei's major European survey. The first iteration, Testimonies to the Near Future, was developed by and presented at Kunstmuseum Basel in June 2026. Generous support provided by the Huo Family Foundation.