Taipei’s Project Fulfill Art Space has released a public statement regarding an installation at the launch of Estée Lauder Companies China Affiliate’s (ELCCA) M·A·C Powder Kiss Lipstick Project in Wuzhen, China. The statement claims that ELCCA’s installations at its product launch event appropriated a site-specific installation work, Untitled-WZ, by Chen Sung-Chih (who is represented by Project Fulfill Art Space) which was on show at the 2019 Wuzhen Contemporary Art Exhibition from 31 March to 30 June. The statement says that a representative from ELCCA contacted Project Fulfill Art Space in May to enquire about a collaboration with the artist, but no further contact was made after the gallery shared the artist’s conditions and specifications. The gallery wrote the statement to confirmed that ‘the materials of the artwork were not subsequently given to any cosmetic company for use’ and that ‘[M·A·C] had appropriated and altered the artwork for its new product launch without obtaining authorization and consent from the artwork’s representing gallery Project Fulfill Art Space or its original creator Chen Sung-Chih.’
Project Fulfill Art Space continued to state: ‘Neither [the gallery] nor Chen Sung-Chih authorized or agreed upon any collaboration with Estée Lauder Companies China Affiliate. Estée Lauder Companies China Affiliate’s independent fabrication of the artwork and installation have seriously impinged the reputation and rights of Project Fulfill Art Space and Chen Sung-Chih.’ But while the gallery is able to condemn the appropriation of its artist’s work, the law surrounding plagiarism and visual plagiarism treat these as two different issues which makes it difficult to pursue in court. For now, Project Fulfill Art Space have demanded an apology from ELCCA ‘in order to restore our reputation and correct any misunderstanding that may arise’ and that the company ‘investigate[s] and affix[es] accountability for those responsible for the infringement.’ Estée Lauder Companies China Affiliate has not issued a response.
21 July 2019
