River Cao
River Cao is a moving image and performance artist based in London. River’s recent work has revolved around practices of mourning and memory, with a particular focus on the figure of the revenant, a reanimated body who returns from the afterlife to haunt the living. Their practice reimagines the performative act of lamentation in regional Chinese cultures through a queer lens, revealing the possibilities of a fluid subject that can explore the landscapes of the past.
Selected recent exhibitions include: Forma Arts and Media, London; Reference Point 180, The Strand, London; Ugly Duck, London; Sadie Coles HQ, London; Saatchi Gallery, London; Goldsmiths CCA, London; Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Manchester; The Yard Theatre, London; Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham; Spike Island, Bristol; Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Ludwig Museum of Art, Cologne; Joy Museum, Beijing; West Bund Art Center, Shanghai.
Portrait of River Cao. Photo by Mike Olliston
River Cao, River is My Hometown (2021), still. Courtesy of the artist
River Cao, River is My Hometown (2021), still. Courtesy of the artist
Video: River Cao, River is My Hometown (2021), trailer
River Cao, I Found a Dead Bird (2022), performance documentation, Forma HQ, London (2023). Photo courtesy of Forma.
River Cao, I Found a Dead Bird (2022), performance documentation, Forma HQ, London (2023). Photo courtesy of Forma.
River Cao, I Found a Dead Bird (2022), performance documentation, Ugly Duck, London (2022). Photo by Yasmine Akim
Video: River Cao, I Found a Dead Bird (2022), excerpt. Performed at Forma HQ, London (2023)
River Cao, I Found a Dead Bird (2022), performance documentation, Forma HQ, London (2023). Photo courtesy of Forma.
River Cao, I Found a Dead Bird (2022), performance documentation, Forma HQ, London (2023). Photo courtesy of Forma.
