A bad imitation is clumsy; it fumbles and flails. Its failures in mimicry open a gap between copy and original. 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 is an exhibition that 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 the diverse practices of Ashley Hi, Catherine Hu, Daniel Chong, Khairullah Rahim x Nghia Phung, Michael Lee, Moses Tan, and Pat Toh, the 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.

Bad Imitation is curated by Berny Tan and Daniel Chong. 

Image Credit: Catherine Hu, Study for 'Twice as Far Away (Blue Tile Table)', 2021.

List of Artists: Ashley Hi, Catherine Hu, Daniel Chong, Khairullah Rahim x Nghia Phung, Michael Lee, Moses Tan, and Pat Toh.