\nSHANZHAI ARCHEOLOGY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
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The Chinese term shanzhai (\u5c71\u5be8)<\/strong> refers to counterfeit consumer goods. This includes imitation, trademark infringement, parody, lookalikes and improved goods, particularly in the field of electronics. A shanzhai (literally shan: mountain, zhai: stronghold) denotes a remote village in the mountains where bandits had once recreated their own form of society, far from the rules of the emperor.<\/p>\n Shanzhai Archeology presents an extraordinary collection of mobile phones from this technological interbreeding Made in China. These are hybrid products developed at an incredible speed merging piracy, reverse engineering, unique creativity and self-taught skills. A profitable business produced by small companies, shanzhai mainly happens out of Western sight, due to regulations that forbid most of these hybrid products to circulate legally across borders. Nevertheless, shanzhai devices fulfil a bespoke need or desire for hundreds of thousands of consumers in countries around the world, not just in China.<\/p>\n At a time when shanzhai might be under threat\u2014 following the Chinese government\u2019s decision to clean up the country of its counterfeiter reputation\u2014this project casts a critical eye at the results of unfettered technological innovation, through the relatively unknown history of the shanzhai.<\/p>\n Positioning this project at the crossroads between art and anthropology, the artists explore the cultural value of shanzhai and the radical otherness of its creative process; an open manufacturing model resulting in singular design solutions outside streamlined market forces and global innovation myths.<\/p>\n \u2014Irini Papadimitriou, London, January 2018<\/p>\n Shanzhai Archeology<\/em>
\nIn this collection, a Buddha Phone, becomes a virtual altar by pressing a special key. The \u201csmallest in the world\u201d or Prisoner Phone is made of 99% plastic and is barely detectable by the authorities. There\u2019s the Taser Phone, marketed as a self-defense weapon, or the Sound System Phone, catering for China\u2019s pensioners as it can broadcast loud sound outdoors, being heard above the din of the public dances they love. It also comes with several gigabytes of old-fashioned communist songs that Chinese pensioners are particularly keen on. Other curious devices include strawberry or car-shaped phones, devices with in-built electric razors, lighters, power banks, video projectors and other impressive features.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/metamorf.no\/2020\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/shanzhai-archeology_33762722275_o-1024x683.jpg\")
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\nDISNOVATION.ORG (Nicolas Maigret, Maria Roszkowska, Cl\u00e9ment Renaud & Hongyuan Qu) 2015-2018<\/em>
\n3D models: Terrell Davis<\/em>
\nInstallation, collection, video, research, publication | 2015-2018<\/em><\/p>\n
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Disnovation.org<\/strong>\u00a0is a working group based in Paris, initiated by Nicolas Maigret (FR) and Maria Roszkowska (PL\/FR). At the intersection