The Rotunda of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10128
Thursday, November 19, 7 pm
Coming Soon (2015) is the latest work by Cao Fei.
Two swings fall from the ceiling and twosets of drums are fixed on the sidewalls in 90 degrees. Performers swing backand forth to the closest distance of the wall, trying to strike the instrumentswith their furthest body parts.
There are times she kicked the snare drum,and times she touched the crash cymbal with her toe. Wavering, playing out dulland crystal clear sound, they might hit nothing or they might have spontaneous,broken noise aroused continuously between them. It could be monotonous or aresonance. The room turns into solitude when they are exhausted. The nextmoment she rushes in to break the silence.
September 26 - November 8, 2015
September 16 - November 21, 2015
Opening Reception: Wed. Sept. 16, 8-9:30pm
The Mistake Room Website
Open To Spouse
Programme: Official - Annual Meeting of the New Champions
At the Vienna Secession, Cao Fei will show a selection of works, among them key works such as RMB City project (2008–11) or Haze and Fog (2013), a recent film project that depicts the struggles of the disoriented urban middle class in a dystopian zombie setting. The artist has also conceived new works especially for the exhibition, among them the eponymous intervention on the Secession’s façade, which creates a connection between the original building in Vienna and its copy, home to a real estate business, in Fei’s hometown, Guangzhou. In the video installation Stranger (2015), Cao Fei explores the phenomenon of internet dating platforms which,while individuals seem to feel more and more disconnected to their surroundings, are becoming increasingly popular. Instead of meeting common expectations,the artist as invisible protagonist of the video clips performs everyday activities as form of communicating with the often passive voyeur, while in the installation Rumba (2015) automatic household devices like cleaning robots perform a kind of random choreography set on a stage designed as an abstracted landscape. Here, again, communication as in “building bridges” seems to be an underlying theme.
An artist book with texts, drawings and sketches by Cao Fei will be published to coincide with the exhibition.
The exhibition at Secession is the artist’s first solo show in Austria.
Cao Fei, born in Guangzhou (China) in 1978, lives and works in Beijing.
Invited by the board of the Secession
Curator: Jeanette Pacher
Press
Press conference: July 1, 10am
For interview requests and any other questions please contact katharina.schniebs@secession.at.
Please find the press release and press images for download here:
http://www.secession.at/presse/pdf/Press_release_Cao_%20Fei.pdf
Guided tours: Saturdays at 11am (in English) and 2pm (in German) by appointment
Permanent presentation: Gustav Klimt Beethoven Frieze
more info:
http://www.e-flux.com/announcements/laura-owens-and-cao-fei/
i.Mirror by China Tracy (aka: Cao Fei) Second Life
Documentary Film
2007. China. Cao Fei. 28 min.
Haze and Fog
2013. China. Cao Fei. 47 min.
Post-screening discussion with Xin Wang, Associate Curator, Asian
Contemporary Art Week