Words by
Berny Tan
& Daniel Chong

A bad imitation is clumsy; it fumbles and flails. Its failures in mimesis expose a human process of (re)production, in all its fallibilities and eccentricities. A gap thus opens between the copy and the original, made blatantly obvious by the copy’s perceived inferiority. By failing, however, a bad imitation reveals more of its original than the original ever could. It steals from its source material, yet gives back by emphasising its own genesis. Oscillating within this strange cyclical loop, the copy can become more compelling than what it seeks to imitate.

Bad Imitation deliberately occupies this blurry threshold between copy and original. Moving beyond discourses of authenticity and faithfulness, it instead frames this threshold as a generative space of difference. Across diverse art practices, this exhibition presents imitations that are imprecise, flawed, and intentionally adjacent to the original. Be it objects, gestures, or images, these attempts at (re)production keep the original alive, yet firmly in their shadow.

This exhibition is part of Singapore Art Week 2022, held from 14 to 23 January 2022.