Cao Fei awarded Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize for exhibition Blueprints

Cao Fei has been awarded the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize, which comes with a £30,000 monetary reward. This recognition stems from her solo exhibition, Blueprints, showcased at the Serpentine Gallery in London last year. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the prize honors groundbreaking achievements in photography. The jury comprised artist Cristina de Middel, curator Simon Njami, Anna Tellgren from Moderna Museet, and Anne-Marie Beckmann, director of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, with Brett Rogers, director of The Photographers’ Gallery, serving as chair. Blueprints delved into the effects of technology, urbanization, and mechanized labor on society. Doretta Lau highlighted in a 2016 ArtReview essay how Cao Fei employs fantasy to probe the human experience. Rogers commended her insightful, layered work for tackling post-pandemic issues such as human connection, love, technology ethics, and existential angst. The works of shortlisted artists Poulomi Basu, Alejandro Cartagena, and Zineb Sedira are on display at The Photographers’ Gallery in London until 26 September.