Cao Fei - Art Gallery of New South Wales

The artist is clever in introducing Instagrammable elements, pieces of signage, furniture, entire shopfronts. I mean people like to get photos to put online and the artist obliges. It's sort of cool and quirky as well as considerate. Maybe good busienss too, but the extra elements must increase the cost of showing.

The above photo illustrates what I mean. Actually the major part of the show is in two movies. The movies are the primary method of conveying meaning. The viewer hunts for referents in the movies that he or she can relate to. The paraphernalia is just like extras.

The above photo shows a movie on an outside screen, but there is also like a small theatre where a longer film showed. Much of the material relates to China's industrial development, but of course being China it's interlaced (not so much with romance but) with ideas to do with family.

Underpinning the story from a plot perspective is technology transfer from Russia, China's old friend. Yes where romance appears it's intercultural. Of course. A Russian technician rests her head on her Chinese colleague's shoulder during the screening of a movie.

Anyway a really worthwhile show. It was my first time with the artist but if she's famous it had nothing to do with me. Until now.