CHAPTER FIVECOUNTERFEIT CULTURE AS PROTEST AND REBELLION

Fake Stuff© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Key Ideas

Means of Cultural Resistance Views on the Relationship of Cultural

Resistance and Political Action

© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Means of Cultural Resistance Content: The political message resides

within the content of the culture Form: The political message is expressed

through the medium of transmission

© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Means of Cultural Resistance (cont’d) Interpretation: The political message is

determined by how the culture is received and interpreted

Activity: The action of producing culture, regardless of content or form or reception, is the political message

(Adapted from Stephen Duncombe’s definitions of cultural resistance. Cultural Resistance Reader. 2002 Pp. 8.)

© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Views on the Relationship of Cultural Resistance and Political Action Cultural resistance creates a “free space”: Ideologically: space to create new

language, meanings, and visions of the future

Materially: place to build community, networks, and organizational models

Cultural resistance is a stepping stone, providing a language, practice, and community and thus political practice

© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Views on the Relationship of Cultural Resistance and Political Action (cont’d) Cultural resistance is a political activity:

writing or rewriting political discourse and thus political practice

Culture resistance is a “haven in a heartless world,” an escape from the world of politics and problems

Cultural resistance does not exist. All culture is, or will immediately become, an expression of the dominant power.

(Adapted from Stephen Duncombe’s definitions of cultural resistance. Cultural Resistance Reader. 2002 Pp. 8.)

© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Counter-branding campaigns in Taiwan In 2010, a group of Taiwanese artists

conducted counter-branding campaign and the “copycat” exhibition in Tokyo and Taiwan. The artists claimed that “China has created cluster effect and business opportunities with “counterfeit mode”, they have utilized such method to break up the existing brand system and market rules, hence it is not entirely just copying, and in fact, it has some similarities with design and innovation that we’ve all learned.”

© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Consumerism and Postmodern space in China There are hundreds of copycat structures

sprinkled throughout China, including the case of Hauxi village (Chapter 6). The buildings appear European on the outside, but inside they contain traditional Chinese style gardens, which resemble the mystified Royal Yuanming Garden.

Collective social memory and cultural identities linked to public space are transformed by global capitalism.

© 2011 Taylor and Francis

Consumerism and Postmodern space in China There are hundreds of copycat structures

sprinkled throughout China, including the case of Hauxi village. The buildings appear European on the outside, but inside they contain traditional Chinese style gardens, which resemble the mystified Royal Yuanming Garden.

Collective social memory and cultural identities linked to public space are transformed by global capitalism.

© 2011 Taylor and Francis