Art Attack: Free Money for Fake Movie Tickets, Plagiarism, Sellouts and Fang Lijun in 798

Not a good week for integrity in China's culturati. Claims have surfaced that movie theaters are falsely inflating ticket sales for historical epic Founding of a Party, to the chagrin of those behind Wuxia and Kung Fu Panda, whose titles have been found handwritten onto tickets originally printed bearing Founding's title. Meanwhile, a Hunanese photographer who picked up a gold medal in the 2010 Chinese National Photographic Art Exhibition has now been stripped of that medal after officials discovered his work was plagiarized. Read on to find out how you can capitalize on others' dishonesty.

No one knows for certain how and why this box office inflation is occurring, though we could hazard some educated guesses. According to an associated press article picked up by the likes of NPR, Salon, etc., none of the theaters they contacted (implicated or not) would talk to reporters, least of all foreign ones.

According to a brief on Jinghua.cn, the production company behind Wuxia is pretty miffed, and rightfully so. Their film was just released (see our review here) and its high production costs mean ticket sales are paramount to turning a profit. So, they've put out calls on microblogging sites offering 1000 kuai rewards to anyone who hands in a ticket bearing the handwritten Wuxia over a printed Founding of a Party title. So far, the production company has prepared RMB 5000 for this purpose, but intends to hand out as many rewards as they can to encourage people coming forward.

If you've got one of those tickets on hand, find the Xing Mei Company (星美北京影业有限公司) on Weibo and try your luck at cashing in. Let us know how it goes.

Sorry, no cash-in on plagiarized photography, but here's a photo of the award-winning offending piece next to the original:

You can capitalize on it morally by learning the lesson to not try and win awards using others' work. And you can read more about the whole disaster here.

Of course, lack of integrity comes in all forms, including huge Western celebrities selling out for the Chinese market. I guffawed alongside a captive movie theater audience when we were hit with one of Leonardo Dicaprio's recent Oppo ads, which were clearly designed to piggyback off Inception's wild popularity here in China. And now, we pause for a moment of ridicule:

Luckily, there are a couple openings in 798 this weekend that should restore some faith in China's creative class. Contemporary great Fang Lijun is joining three other artists in a group exhibition at the new Pin Gallery, and the Yan Club Arts Center is also opening their new group exhibition.

It's also the last weekend to catch the UCCA's crop of exhibits (Li Hui, Not Vital and Su Zhiguang) before a new set opens next week. And the last week to catch Yue Minjun's works at Pace Beijing as well as Kenya Hara's don't-miss design exhibit at Beijing Center for the Arts.

There are also films to see and talks on Beijing's imperial axis and the art of the enlightenment to attend. See below for details and hop to it!

Last Calls

Li Hui: V
Until Jul 10. Lasers, fog, mirrors. Like a David Bowie show but with less eyeliner. RMB 15. UCCA (8459 9269)

Not Vital: Full On
Until Jul 10. The Swiss artist known for his nouveau sculptures unveils his first foray into painting – and also assaults viewers with Camay soap. RMB 15. UCCA (8459 9269)

Su Zhiguang: Drift
Until Jul 10. You’re probably looking at a layer of dust every time you peep art in Beijing, but in this leg of the UCCA’s “Curated by…” series, it’s on purpose. See Su’s soothing images in Dust Manual, Dust Tiles and Dust Insects, Dust Flowers. Free. UCCA (8459 9269)

Kenya Hara: Designing Design
Until Jul 15. The art director of adored Japanese brand Muji gives us a backstage pass to his creative process. Free. Beijing Center for the Arts (6559 8008)

Yue Minjun: The Road
Until Jul 16. China’s most iconic contemporary
painter shows newer renditions of his trademark nihilistic smile.

Opening July 9

Four People Four Ways
Until Sep 10. Fang Lijun, Wang Yin, Xiao Yu and Yang Maoyuan show new works in dialogue with one another. Free. Pin Gallery (5762 6200/11)

Ok.Go
Until Aug 31. Artists Fang Yixiu, Gao Haiqing, Mu Lintong, Yang Song, Diudiu and Zeng Suchai demonstrate exuberance and flexibility in their group exhibit. Yan Club Arts Center (59789172)

July 10

Film: Gone With the Wind
I just learned the Chinese title for this film: Piao (漂), as in “float” or “drift.” Now, how do you think they translate “Frankly my dear, I don't give a ...”? Reservation required: contact@cultureyard.net. RMB 25 (includes soft drinks and popcorn). 7pm. Culture Yard (8404 4166)

July 12

Film: Waiting Alone
This love story by Taiwan-born Chinese-American Dayyan Eng was nominated for a Golden Rooster Best Picture. Reservation required: contact@cultureyard.net. RMB 25 (includes soft drinks and popcorn). 7pm. Culture Yard (8404 4166)

July 13

Lecture: Beijing Postcards: The Imperial Axis
Have you ever wondered why Beijing is so enamored with its central north-south axis? Find out at this talk. And don’t worry, there will be lots of pictures. RMB 30, RMB 20 (members). 7.30pm. The Bookworm (6586 9507)

July 14

Dialogue: Enlightenment and Art
A discussion of the relationship between the Enlightenment and art, and the public’s
role in both. Run in conjunction with the Art of the Enlightenment exhibit. Free. 9am-12pm. National Museum of China (6511 6400)

Photo from gochengdoo.com