Cao Fei’s The Eternal Wave, now in AR
Acute Art is delighted to announce that from 4 August the Serpentine Galleries will reopen to the public with a new AR work by Cao Fei. Visitors to the gallery will be able to engage with the experience via the free Acute Art app on their smartphones.
Earlier this year, Acute Art premiered Cao Fei’s first virtual reality work, The Eternal Wave for her acclaimed solo exhibition, Blueprints, at the Serpentine Galleries. In response to the current situation, Acute Art has collaborated with the artist on an augmented reality version of the kitchen space in which The Eternal Wave begins. Continuing the artist’s exploration of virtual possibilities, this new iteration of the project responds to the current moment by shifting from the VR headset to the smartphone screen, an experimentation with technology that reflects a changed reality to the one in which the exhibition opened.
The experience begins in a physical rendition of the kitchen space in the Hongxia Theatre in Beijing. From this starting point, visitors are taken on a multi-sensory journey through various portals, traversing the boundaries between time and space to explore the computers of the early electronics industry in China and the areas in and around the Hongxia Theatre, where Cao Fei’s studio is located.
Blueprints is on view at the Serpentine Galleries until from 4 August. The gallery is open 10-6pm, Tuesday – Sunday, plus bank holidays. Tickets are free but booking is essential. Book here and download the Acute Art app in advance.