Smith College: Kahn Liberal Arts Institute

Excavating the Image: The Birth of RMB City by Cao Fei

On January 10 and 11, 2013, an interdisciplinary group of 15 Smith and Five College faculty, staff, and visiting scholars examined the art video The Birth of RMB City by internationally renowed artist Cao Fei as Fellows in the annual Excavating the Image colloquium, which is jointly organized by the Kahn Institute and the Smith College Museum of Art. During the two-day project, Fellows analyzed the video from their distinct disciplinary perspectives. Participants discussed diverse topics ranging from the artistic and architectural styles represented in the video’s virtual city to the environmental and social implications of China’s recent high-speed building program. They also considered how Chinese history and recent political changes are reflected within the very contemporary piece of art.

Presentations by noted experts in contemporary Chinese art, Chinese urbanization, and computer-generated art and social media provided an analytical framework for participants. Fellows shared their individual expertise and their previous experiences with Chinese culture and art to enhance the group’s interpretation of the work. Fellows also participated in two hands-on activities that enabled them to select their own visual representations of the Chinese city of Shanghai and to explore the online community of Second Life, where Cao Fei built RMB City.