A strange castle-octopus space station hovering over a 3D-rendered landscape.

Cao Fei: Duotopia Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

October 31, 2026–January 10, 2027

Media Arts Watch Gallery

MAG presents two related short videos by leading Chinese artist Cao Fei. These works, created within a metaverse platform known as Yuanbang Meta City, unveil the ongoing development of Duotopia, a futuristic roving city that appears to be supported by a tentacled avatar named Oz. Cao Fei draws the titles from “多 (duō),” which means “numerous” in Mandarin Chinese, referring to the many possible futures and future utopias that aren’t limited to a single outcome.

The videos are self-referential in their making, as Cao Fei used machinima, a filmmaking technique that employs graphic engines and environments from 3D video games to produce these animations.

A strange organic space station against a sunrise, 3D-rendered.
DUOTOPIA – Vol. 1 (still), 2022
Cao Fei
3D rendering video, 9:16, color, with sound, loop, 2:40 min. Commissioned by Meta City. Courtesy Sprüth Magers and Vitamin Creative Space
A strange castle-octopus space station hovering over a 3D-rendered landscape.
DUOTOPIA Vol.2 (still), 2024
Cao Fei
Machinima, Single channel video, 9:16, color with sound, 5min 15sec. Music: Ma Haiping. Commissioned by Meta City. Courtesy Sprüth Magers and Vitamin Creative Space
Featured Image CreditCao Fei, DUOTOPIA Vol.2 (still, detail), 2024. Machinima, Single channel video, 9:16, color with sound, 5min 15sec. Music: Ma Haiping. Commissioned by Meta City. Courtesy Sprüth Magers and Vitamin Creative Space

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