Multiply!!! Power in Numbers in Contemporary Chinese Art

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Chinese artists have known the power of copying and multiplying as tools for studying and glorifying original artworks. From the grand display of the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an to Cai Guo Qiang’s AR fireworks above the Forbidden City, the experience of the “multiplier” is the core of Chinese artmaking. Printmaking was invented in China in 700 A.D. and molds were used for even the earliest of bronze sculptures. Today, Chinese artists rely on the tools of reproduction to create, duplicate and distribute their creations. Yet, beyond practical uses of multiplication, “multiplicity” has become a central theme in Chinese contemporary art with many young Chinese artists replicating a mass of identical objects and images to create astounding spectacles. This exhibition examines a group of artists for whom multiplication and repetition are the very point of their artworks, rather than merely a tool for easy replication and widespread distribution. Instead of the usual selection of prints and multiples that are expected in such an exhibition, here is a survey of artists who are pushing the envelope demonstrating the spectacular effect that can be achieved by grouping masses of similar objects together in the same space. There are artists who still rely on classical techniques, such as molds, printmaking and paper cutting. But there are also many others who challenge the very notion of an “original” or a “limited edition” by employing the latest technology, including 3D printing, multi-channel animation, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and NFTs. The exhibition demonstrates that rather than wowing an audience with a single unique work, such as the Mona Lisa, a greater impact can be achieved through amassing a crowd of works in total environments that invite interaction. The use of multiplication to create spectacle is the core of this exhibition. Like synchronized drummers at opening ceremonies or omnipresence of images of social media idols, China excels at this form of spectacle yet its artists’ use of multiplication has rarely been investigated in a museum exhibition. Here, instead of attaching shame or illegality to multiples, the exhibition celebrates the power of the crowd and highlights those artists who make use of reproduction to beautiful and thought-provoking ends.