Introduction

Cao Shu was born in 1987, now lives and works in Hangzhou. Cao Shu works with a mix of media, including writing, photography, 3D digital video, mixed-material sculpture, and video game installations. His recent works explore topics such as nuclear energy as a ghostly medium, socialist historical science fiction, superorganisms and swarm algorithms, the relationship between digital technology and memory, encryption technology, the collective subconscious and questions around the Chthulucene, etc.

Cao Shu has received several awards including the 2022 OCAT × KADIST Young Media Artist Award, the 2021 Exposure Award at PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai, and the 2017 BISFF Artistic Exploration Award. He was also shortlisted for the inaugural E.A.T. PRIZE 2024. He has held solo exhibitions at HOW Art Museum (Shanghai), Zhejiang Art Museum, Muffatwerk (Munich), and Koganecho (Yokohama), among others. His recent works have been shown at institutions such as M+ (Hong Kong), White Rabbit Gallery (Sydney), UCCA Dune, and Matadero Madrid. He has participated in residencies in Basel, Yokohama, and Munich. His films have been selected for major festivals including DOK Leipzig, Annecy, DMZ Docs, Milan, Ottawa, and Hannover, and are part of collections at institutions like KADIST, White Rabbit, HOW Art Museum, and Zhejiang Art Museum.