From 10 February, visitors to Dulwich Picture Gallery will be set the challenge to identify a Chinese replica hanging among the 270 Old Master paintings on display. ‘Made in China: A Doug Fishbone Project’ will explore the nature and importance of the original versus the copy and the role of art as commodity, a subject of increasing importance in our age of global mass production.
Conceived by artist Doug Fishbone and curated by Dr Xavier Bray, the Arturo and Holly Melosi Chief Curator at the Gallery, Dulwich will temporarily remove one of its paintings from the frame, replacing it with a replica commissioned by Fishbone and produced by one of China’s numerous exporters of handmade oil paintings.
For three months the public will be invited to identify the replicated painting and have the opportunity to submit their answers via an iPad in the Gallery. Those with the correct answer will be entered into a competition to win a custom print from the Gallery’s collection, signed by Doug Fishbone. The replica will be revealed on 28 April 2015 when it will hang side by side with the original. Visitors will be invited to return to compare and contrast. How does the brushwork differ? How has the varnish aged on the original? How has the Chinese artist interpreted the style of painting of an Old Master?
Many Old Master painters, from Titian to Rubens, encouraged the iteration of their work, of which there are several examples in Dulwich’s collection. The Gallery’s version of Venus & Adonis clearly demonstrates how Titian’s assistants would have mapped out the composition using a template, with the master coming along at the end of the process to add the finishing touches. Today, famous paintings are being reproduced in the millions with China dominating this export market.
By placing a replica amongst its collection Dulwich will be encouraging the public to look closely and engage with the magic of the originals on display, and to also explore the issues raised by Fishbone’s work regarding identity, value and authorship. Does a replica introduced into the sanctity of a museum setting acquire newfound quality and status?
很難想像一間正統的藝術機構竟公然將名畫的仿製品引進門。其實這是多維茨畫廊近期展覽“中國製造：藝術家道格·費甚波恩項目（Made in China: A Doug Fishbone Project）”——從2月10日起，畫廊將發起一項挑戰，公眾需要從270幅早期繪畫大師的作品中辨識出一幅中國製造的仿製品。該項目的目的是為了讓大家探討原作與仿製品的本質和重要性，在全球大生產的環境下藝術品作為商品所不可小覷的地位展開了討論。
此次展覽由藝術家道格·費甚波恩（Doug Fishbone）構思，多維茨畫廊的阿圖羅和霍利·梅洛西（the Arturo and Holly Melosi）總策展人澤維爾·布雷博士（Dr Xavier Bray）策劃。費甚波恩先前委託中國出口商複製其中一幅館藏畫作，然後策展團隊將原作從畫框內取出，替換成這幅仿製品。
在為期三個月的展覽中，畫廊盛情邀請大眾來找出這幅仿製品，且可以通過iPad提交答案。回答正確的觀眾將有機會角逐一幅珍貴的名畫印刷品，並附有道格·費甚波恩親筆簽名。多維茨畫廊將在2015年4月28日揭曉答案，屆時仿製品會與原作一併展示，大眾可以比較筆觸不同之處，原畫表漆的褪變程度還有中國畫家是如何模仿早期繪畫的風格。
早期的繪畫大師如提香（Titian）和魯本斯（Rubens）反復重畫自己的作品在多維茨畫廊就有好些展示。畫廊藏品中的《從維納斯和阿多尼斯》就清楚地展示了當年提香的助手們是如何使用模版進行描繪，在最後收尾時再由提香畫龍點睛。如今，中國主導著龐大的出口市場，大師名畫正被數以百萬次地複制與交易。
用複製品替換原作這一做法不僅鼓勵公眾仔細觀察和品味原作的魅力，也展開了關於身份、價值和原創者提出的疑問：當一張仿製品出現在神聖的殿堂時有被賦予不一樣的特性和地位嗎？
Tips 小貼士
展覽場地：Dulwich Picture Gallery 多維茨畫廊
展覽時間：10.02.2015 – 26.04.2015
更多信息：www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
