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Colby Chamberlain on Cao Fei - Artforum International

artforum.com · 957 words · saved by 1 readers

Recently in these pages, artforum.com associate editor Dawn Chan argued that for many East Asian artists, success on the international exhibition circuit is contingent on their willingness to appeal to the “techno-Orientalist” fantasies of Western curators. Few artworks seem more indicative, if not outright parodic, of this predicament than Cao Fei’s RMB City, 2007–11, a floating island constructed in the simulated ocean expanses of Second Life. Much like the Panzani pasta ad that Roland Barthes decoded as connoting “Italianness,” renderings of RMB City abound with Sino-signifiers. A panda, a

Cao Fei Read Next: Matt’s Message from Munich Subscribe Close Open Menu Close Open Search Search for: Search for: Close Menu Follow Us Facebook Instagram X YouTube Alerts & Newsletters Email address to subscribe to newsletter. Sign Up By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. Artforum is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 Artforum Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reviews New York Cao Fei MoMA PS1 By Colby Chamberlain More Columbus, OH A.K. Burns Wex

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