Liao Yibai "MADE IN CHINA"
Mike Weiss Gallery
This event has ended.
"In China, the making of fake antiques is a thriving, profitable industry and has been since ancient times. Artist Liao Yibai calls it a 'glorious' tradition, his designation double-edged. The counterfeiters have mastered numerous techniques to simulate age, among which are the use of smoke, chemicals and chalk. Often, they bury the newly made objects in the ground to accelerate the seasoning process and, even more persuasively, they might construct tombs for these putative antiques to give them a provenance. The tomb is later discovered, excavated to great fanfare, its recovered treasures praised-and sold. These forgers are expert craftsmen, their imitations astonishingly plausible. 'If you visit the Forbidden City in Beijing to see its collections,' Liao cautions, 'there will be undoubtedly many counterfeit pieces on display.'"
--Lilly Wei. "The Real Fake Annals of Liao Yibai," in MADE IN CHINA catalog
[Image: Liao Yibai "Chairman's Chair" (2011) Stainless steel 55 5/8 x 52 1/2 x 65 1/2 in.]
Media
Schedule
from October 18, 2012 to November 24, 2012
Opening Reception on 2012-10-18 from 18:00 to 20:00