Imagine ancient agricultural fields swarming with autonomous drones and algorithmic robots. That’s the cyber-rural reality created by internationally renowned Chinese multimedia artist Cao Fei. Her latest project in collaboration with Milan’s Fondazione Prada, DASH, distills three years of fieldwork across rural China, Southeast Asia, and beyond into captivating VR, video installations, and documentary footage. It brilliantly captures the collision between traditional farming practices and modern ag-tech.
For Cao Fei (born 1978 in Guangzhou), the modern farm isn’t a pastoral escape. For her, it’s a hyper-industrial landscape. As AI, drones, and automation increasingly integrate into humanity’s oldest survival systems, a fascinating tension emerges—one that resonates deeply within contemporary Chinese culture. This tension reflects China’s rapid technological revolution, which is fundamentally reshaping lived experiences, subcultures, and rural ecosystems from the ground up.
Exhibited globally at institutions like MoMA and Tate Modern, Cao Fei‘s work consistently explores these profound societal shifts. As automation meets the plow, DASH opens up new and urgent questions about our human connection to the land in an increasingly digital world.
Cover image via MUSE Magazine.
