Shanzhai Style in Artistic Practice: Mythologising Creativity & Ownership in the Global Rise of China Chun Yin Rainbow Chan Thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts UNSW Art and Design May 2020 Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname/Family Name : CHAN Given Name/s : Chun Yin Rainbow Abbreviation for degree as give in the University calendar : MFA Faculty : UNSW Art & Design School : School of Art Shanzhai Style in Artistic Practice: Mythologising Creativity and Ownership in Thesis Title : the Global Rise of China Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) This practice-led research thesis focuses on the discourse surrounding shanzhai (Chinese counterfeiting of Western brands) through a written dissertation and a large-scale multimedia installation titled Gloss. Shanzhai has been perceived by some as a symbol of resistance through its associations with grassroots innovation and irreverence for copyright. Others claim that there are limitations to the subversive potential of shanzhai in the context of contemporary Chinese neoliberalism, which is complicated by a strong state-market alliance. This thesis considers these contradictory narratives of shanzhai, exploring the central question: How can artistic practice employ shanzhai strategies to critically examine myths about creativity and ownership in the global rise of China? The project’s theoretical framework draws on the writings of Laikwan Pang, Aihwa Ong and Jane Park, as well as the creative projects of Shanzhai Biennial, Stephanie Syjuco and Fatima Al Qadiri. Building on these rich conversations in diaspora studies and artistic practice, Gloss explores the productive potential of piracy, mimicry and mistranslation, which are conceptualised in this project as strategies of “shanzhai style.” Highlighting intimacies between representation, technology and power, this thesis aims to raise important questions about today’s creative economies – how they intersect with race, class, gender and nation, and their potential to morph and transmute along the rogue flows of capital. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents a non-exclusive licence to archive and to make available (including to members of the public) my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known. I acknowledge that I retain all intellectual property rights which subsist in my thesis or dissertation, such as copyright and patent rights, subject to applicable law. I also retain the right to use all or part of my thesis or dissertation in future works (such as articles or books). 22 May 2020 ……………………………………………………… ……….……………………...…….… Signature Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years can be made when submitting the final copies of your thesis to the UNSW Library. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed …………………………………………….............. Date ……………………………………………..............22/05/2020 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents a non-exclusive licence to archive and to make available (including to members of the public) my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known. I acknowledge that I retain all intellectual property rights which subsist in my thesis or dissertation, such as copyright and patent rights, subject to applicable law. I also retain the right to use all or part of my thesis or dissertation in future works (such as articles or books).’ ‘For any substantial portions of copyright material used in this thesis, written permission for use has been obtained, or the copyright material is removed from the final public version of the thesis.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date …………………………………………….............................. AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date …………………………………………….............................. Table of Contents Acknowledgements ii List of Figures iii Introduction 1 Chapter Nº 1 : Just Fake It. 10 1.1 Defining Shanzhai 10 1.2 The Global Rise of China 12 1.3 The Construct of Creativity 19 Chapter Nº 2 : Maybe She’s Born With It. Maybe It’s Shanzhai Myth. 24 2.1 Shanzhai Mythology 24 2.2 Defining Shanzhai Style 29 Chapter Nº 3 : Thinking Differently. 35 3.1 Shanzhai Style in Artistic Practice 35 3.2 Piracy 37 3.3 Mimicry 51 3.4 Mistranslation 67 Conclusion 84 Bibliography 88 Appendix 100 Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my two supervisors, Dr. Diana Baker Smith and Dr. Astrid Lorange. I could not have completed this project without your extensive knowledge, insightful suggestions and unwavering support. I would also like to acknowledge the guidance of Dr. Rochelle Haley, Dr. Lindsay Kelley and Dr. Yu-Chieh Li who supervised this project at different times. I am indebted to Josephine Skinner, Megan Monte and the team at Cement Fondu. Your assistance throughout the Gloss exhibition was invaluable. Thanks also to my collaborators Hyun Lee and Craig Stubbs-Race. Your respective skills in photography and graphic design were vital to Chamele’s spectacular shanzhai campaign. I’d like to extend my appreciation to Chamele’s body doubles: Rose Chan, Eugene Choi, Ellie Graham and Marcus Whale. I must also thank 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art for inviting me on two residencies in China between 2016 and 2018. If I didn’t stumble upon those MEIJIAZE SHOES in that small supermarket in Guizhou, the persona of Chamele would have never been born. Your ongoing support has allowed me to grow immensely as an artist and as a person. I’d also like to recognise the curators, galleries and cultural spaces who gave me an opportunity to experiment with different iterations of Gloss. They include Hera Chan at Tai Kwun, Antonie Angerer and Anna-Viktoria Eschbach at I: project space, Autumn Royal at Disclaimer and the team at Liquid Architecture. Many thanks to Fatima Al Qadiri who I had the pleasure of meeting in Sydney. Your album Asiatisch catalysed my interest in shanzhai culture and led me on this journey to interrogate the complexities of cultural representation. Your knowledge, practical experience and kindness continue to inspire me. The completion of my thesis would not have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends. I really cannot express my gratitude enough. Special thanks to my partner, Craig, and my unofficial editor, Frosty the cat, whose help and encouragement cannot be overestimated. ii List of Figures Figure 1 9 Photograph from my childhood in Hong Kong (circa 1995). Figure 2 13 “Nat Nat Shoes” and “Goojje” on Time Magazine. Figure 3 16 Collage of shanzhai products. Figure 4 18 “Sunbucks Coffee” signage. Figure 5 21 “Harry Potter Obama Sonic” backpack and parody T-shirt for sale online. Figure 6 23 President Obama’s shanzhai endorsement of the “BlockBerry” phone. Figure 7 26 M.I.A Versus Versace campaign image and a shanzhai Supreme bag. Figure 8 31 Shanzhai “pearPhone” next to an Apple iPhone. Figure 9 33 Shanzhai I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! and shanzhai Calvin Kleins underwear. Figure 10 36 Chamele’s live performance on the opening night of Gloss (2019). Figure 11 37 Installation view of Chamele No. 5 perfume in Gloss (2019). Figure 12 39 Audience members capturing Chamele’s in store performance on the opening night of Gloss (2019). Figure 13 42 Images from Shanzhai Biennial No. 1 (2012) and Shanzhai Biennial No. 2 (2013) Figure 14 43 Shanzhai variations of Adidas. iii Figure 15 44 Audience members listening to the jingle No. 5 on the opening night of Gloss (2019). Figure 16 49 Photograph of shanzhai MEIJIAZE SHOES in a supermarket in Guizhou Province. Figure 17 50 Merchandising strategies of Chanel stores. Figure 18 Stephanie Syjuco’s The Crochet Counterfeit Project (2006) and photo collage of 54 Syjuco’s collaborators with their counterfeit bags. Figure 19 Chamele spraying perfume on an audience member on opening night of Gloss (2019). 58 Figure 20 Chanel No. 5 bottle design and installation view of Couplet/Duilian in Gloss (2019). 61 Figure 21 Chamele’s pout and a still from Shanzhai Biennial No. 2 (2013). 64 Figure 22 Photo of Yang Peiyi and Lin Miaoke. 65 Figure 23 Chamele’s live performance on the opening night of Gloss (2019). 68 Figure 24 Khalid Al Gharaballi and Fatima Al Qadiri in WaWa Complex (2011). 70 Figure 25 Kaia Gerber in Chanel’s Spring 2008 campaign, Brad Pitt in Chanel’s 2012 Inevitable 73 campaign, and digital image of Wallpaper (2019). Figure 26 Stills of Chamele’s face and body in Display (2019). 76 Figure 27 Still of 3D graphic and Chinese animated text in Display (2019). 77 iv Figure 28 78 Air Jordan and Qiaodan logo comparison.