Mike Weiss Gallery and ATM gallery are pleased to present Real Fake, an exhibition of new works by Chinese artist Liao Yibai. The exhibition opens September 10 and runs through October 30. By collapsing the concepts of “real” and “fake” through mash-ups of luxury labels, the appropriation of real fake brand names, and the creation of his own luxury brands; Yibai with wit and originality questions China’s rags-to-riches story of material obsession through his exquisitely detailed, hand-welded stainless steel sculptures.
In China it is difficult to determine what is real while so many fake brands have assimilated into its culture. Liao Yibai’s exhibition Real Fake exposes this cultural phenomenon and questions the skewed concept of value on a variety of levels. The oversized lavished sculptures of watches, rings, handbags, and high heel shoes confront the multitudes of popular brands and logos and their overwhelming presence in today’s society. Yibai’s newest body of work examines this increasing obsession with opulence and luxury goods while glorifying and laughing at it simultaneously.
