Cao Fei's 'Testimonies to the Near Future' at Kunstmuseum Basel

Cao Fei's first solo exhibition in Switzerland, 'Testimonies to the Near Future,' opens at Kunstmuseum Basel | Gegenwart from May 30 to October 11, 2026. Curated by Stephanie Seidel, Philipp Selzer, and Alice Wilke, the survey spans all four floors, transforming the museum into a simulated city. Born in Guangzhou in 1978, Cao Fei emerged from the Pearl River Delta, studying at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts before moving to Beijing. Her practice blends documentary, pop culture, gaming, and video art. The exhibition features works like 'RMB City' (2007–), a landmark Second Life project critiquing platform capitalism; 'Whose Utopia' (2006), filmed at an Osram factory; and 'Asia One' (2018), examining automated logistics. Other works include 'Cosplayers' (2004), 'Hip Hop' series (2003–), and 'Isle of Instability' (2020), made during pandemic isolation. Cao Fei has shown at Centre Pompidou, Serpentine Gallery, MoMA PS1, and MAXXI, and won the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize (2021) and SCAD deFINE ART Award (2024).