In her video Father, Cao Fei follows her father casting a sculpture of Deng Xiaoping (1904- 997), a revolutionary and one of the leaders of the Communist Party in China, the acting ruler of China between 1976-1997 and the second generation strongman in the party’s leadership, under whose rule Chinese economy evolved into its current status as a developing economy among the strongest in the world. The People’s Republic of China was founded in October 1949. Fei represents the young generation of artists in China, allowing a gaze at the former generation. Between 1966 and 1968 Mao Tse-tung tried to eliminate the religious and educational institutions. Professors, monks and nuns, writers and artists were beaten or forced to kill themselves. Today’s China is still not a democracy. Nevertheless, a new generation of artists is pushing the boundaries. The censorship rules are unclear. But while commercial and personal freedoms seem almost unlimited, the public and political are still closely monitored.
In her 88-minute video Fei moves in and out of her father’s private and public life as an ”official” sculptor. Deep feelings of love for him blend and clash with acute criticism of his life’s work. In realistic style and with documentary objectivity, Fei exposes a naked reality where one must constantly maneuver between the desire to grow and develop and the wish for social recognition, on the one hand, and the possibility of getting rich and gaining recognition via political kitsch and even corruption, on the other.
The CDA's archives are operating with the support of the Ostrovsky Family Fund and Artis
