Modeling techniques back then ran the risk of being discredited in today's art exhibitions. However, Cao saw it as the sketches and watercolor manuscripts presented in any artist's retrospective, where people can see the process of creation from scratch.

Cao's works also show the process of derivative iteration from old to new media, just like the "evolution of mobile phones from 1G to 5G", she says.

As the metaverse gained wider acceptance, Cao, a pioneer in such world-building, continued her focus on cyberspace in 2022.

In the film Meta-mentary (2022), she documents people's evolving opinions about the metaverse; in Duotopia (2022-2024), she layers and interlaces numerous utopian realms within the metaverse; then, in the two-channel video installation Oz (2022), her new avatar, an exquisite androgynous figure, is enveloped in an electrifying atmosphere — a fusion of machine, octopus and anthropoid, this post-human creature exudes serenity.

She says visitors to the exhibition span generations. Some older viewers see a reflection of their collective past in her works like the HX project. Younger audiences may be drawn to interesting, immersive multimedia elements, even if they do not fully understand the deeper meaning.

"Visitors can sit, lie down and interact with the works, leading to unexpected discoveries. This interactive and engaging approach is what makes the exhibition truly captivating," says Li Minkun, chairman of the Museum of Art Pudong.

Zhang Shangqing contributed to this story.