Grant #20
Film on China’s ‘Copy Towns’
July 1, 2013
Who knew you could visit the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal and Christ the Redeemer just by going to China?
A recent phenomenon, called ‘copy towns,’ in which western buildings and even entire towns are reconstructed for the high-end property market in China, is the subject of upcoming film and multi-media project ‘Hallstatt, China.’ Thanks to artists Sebastian Acker and Phil Thompson, you will soon be able to see these sights for yourself.
The film will feature footage from a number of locations, including Thames Town, a town with a number of replicated English buildings; the Dafen Oil Painting Village, where 80% of the worlds fake oil paintings are produced; two versions of the Eiffel Tower; and Hallstatt, China a replica of the UNESCO-protected town Hallstatt, Austria. It will also include interviews with the marketing teams and residents of both the original and replicated towns, architect Ai Weiwei, and the mayor of Hallstatt, Austria Alexander Scheutz.
To learn more about the film, check out the artists’ Tumblr page and follow them on Twitter.
