Cao Fei
RMB City Sketch (2008)
Giclee on Somerset Velvet 225 gsm
Edition of 120
45 x 57 cm
Hand signed and numbered by the artist
Beijing-based artist Cao Fei (born 1978) fused fantasy with the contemporary Chinese city in her construction of RMB City, an experimental art community in the internet-based virtual world of Second Life.
Cao Fei, through the avatar she created called China Tracy, spent a year exploring the possibilities of Second Life and produced the i.Mirror trilogy, 2007, a series of films that documented her adventures, which were presented in the Chinese Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale, 2007.
The Serpentine commissioned the artist to present RMB City in the public space and to continue her investigation of this digital landscape. Once she has completed its construction in Autumn 2008, the buildings of the virtual city were occupied for two years by partners including institutions and individual collectors who hosted exhibitions and cultural activities open to all Second Life users. The project explored the creative potential of an online art community, seeking to create the conditions for an expansive discourse about art, urbanism, economy, imagination and freedom.
Reflecting on China's urban and cultural explosion, the architecture of RMB City was an amalgam of Chinese icons, ancient and modern, from the panda to the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The installation in the Gallery's lobby presented two- and three-dimensional visualisations of RMB City as well as computer access to a virtual viewing platform over the construction site, which featured video updates of the construction process and the project was also accessible via the Serpentine’s website.
