Artist shows agriculture droning forward

As artificial intelligence sweeps the world, does automation signal a future without humanity? In a quest to grapple with this thought-provoking question, Chinese artist Cao Fei has spent the past three years immersed in the fields and farmlands of China and Southeast Asia, focusing on smart farming, a technological revolution driven by the use of agricultural drones, AI algorithms, and the subtle coexistence of age-old traditions and innovation.

These years of deep engagement have culminated in her latest art project, Dash, or Super Farms to Chinese audiences, a multimedia exhibition set to debut at the Prada Foundation in Milan on April 9.

More than a simple showcase of smart farming, the exhibition extends the artist's decades-long career in exploring humanity's relationship with technology, which is central to her vital role in the art world, depicting China's rapid changes and the individuals affected by them.

Since 2023, Cao has visited farms in Guangdong province and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, as well as in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, turning her lens on the use of modern technologies such as drones and autonomous vehicles. She has also focused on "contemporary farmers" who operate these innovative tools, ranging from traditional farmers learning new technologies to urban white-collar workers and members of the post-2000 generation.