Asia One

Cao Fei’s work in video, installation and digital media explores daily life in a rapidly changing China. Cao’s latest project focuses on the futuristic logistics hub of online retail giant Jingdong, or JD.com, one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing and distribution facilities in China. Granted unprecedented access to interview JD.com employees, as well as to film onsite, the artist has created two new works on display in APT9, the narrative video ‘Asia One’ 2018 and the documentary ‘11.11’ 2018.

For Cao Fei, JD.com represents the integration of sophisticated automated logistics with mass consumption, globalisation and technological acceleration. The company’s operations suggest myriad possibilities for the evolution of industry, but also significant changes for the daily experience of its workers. In her works, Cao Fei asks what role these present-day glimpses of the future might play in the grander narratives of historical development, especially in a China undergoing constant change.

Exhibited in 'The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' (APT9) | 24 Nov 2018 – 28 Apr 2019